Asteroid Capture

On 10/3/10 8:16 PM, csmyth3025 wrote:

> In this regard, space infrastructure creates its own postitive feedback
> - the more infrastructure that's in place, the more profits that can be
> made by servicing the existing facilities and building even more
> facitilites so more "stuff" can be done in space.

I think this is a critical insight. Once we recognize the feedback
cycles, we should be able to see where we can apply a push to have the
biggest impact.

For example, if a major government were really interested in opening the
frontier, it would put out a contract to buy daily deliveries of water
on orbit from the lowest bidder (selected daily). This would provide a
huge boost to the launch market, encourage competition and innovation,
and build up a very useful fuel/water depot in orbit.

We're not a major government, but perhaps we can find other ways to push
on the feedback cycles in the right direction. For example, we can
support the current NASA plan that relies more heavily on commercial
launch providers, and lobby our congresscritters to go even further in
supporting a real market, and eschewing the traditional huge jobs
programs that have kept space access so expensive. We can also push for
reasonable, supportive regulation of the emerging space tourism industry
(which so far the FAA has been pretty good about, but you never know
when it might take an ugly turn).

Best,
- Joe