Another Thread

I spent four days last week at the third annual Lunar Development
Conference (http://www.space-frontier.org/Projects/Moon/ldc2001.html),
Caesars Palace, Las Vegas. I don't think developing the Moon as an
industrial outpost is hearsay for this group, as I think it can help develop
the high frontier by providing a pathway which seems possible to me, and in
fact the high frontier may not be developable without first establishing
industrial facilities on the Moon. Reality is the fact that about 50 space
craft from Earth have been to the Moon, taking 12 men and other-wise
providing sample-return (Soviet robotic) missions. These missions prove
such things can be done, even with technology older than the Space Shuttles.
Potential investors are likely to be conservative and feel such "proof" is
important before they risk their financial futures in space ventures.
At this conference we, correctly in my view, spent some time worrying
about the cash-flow for realistically possible space developments which
could lead to the Moon (and I think also the high frontier). The fact that
Las Vegas was a waste-land before development, but is now the fastest
growing city in the USA was not lost on us. Nor was the fact that the
hotel-resort Star-Trek (the Las Vegas Hilton) was so full they could not let
more people in. Such hotel-resorts may seem frivolous, but you should know
that some cost over $ 1.5 billion to build, and from my experience they
really do expand the human experience, just as Disney's and other such theme
parks have. Many humans now, with a lot of money to spend, want to
experience such places, and seek out more "advanced" ones. Maybe they would
rather really go to orbit or to the Moon, but that is not yet available for
a price they can pay. Perhaps there are billions to be made in expanding
the human experience to low earth orbit (LEO) first, to higher orbits, to
the Moon, and L-5. Dennis Tito was doing the former and there many others,
I understand, waiting with cash in hand to do the same. Can anyone do
anything for the folks with less money now? Perhaps a hotel-resort named
Moon-Base (or something) in Las Vegas (and/or elsewhere) might help them and
our cause in a number of ways. It could be done in the near future, and it
could also help some of the companies that are already trying to open space
for all, like Lunacorp, Mircorp, SpaceDev, and many others (I don't want to
get into trying to listing them all, but I know there are many, many
others). Can we find a way to encourage investing in a new hotel in Las
Vegas? Perhaps this may seem far from the SSI mission, but is it? Are our
dreams so different from those of many trekkies (sp?)? I don't know many
trekkies, but I suspect at least some would rather have real space, but it
has not been available.
Best wishes, Jay S. Huebner at jhuebn@...