Help (engineering, general science, etc)!

> I must first admit I don't understand what this mailing is
about. If
> fact, that is what makes me feel I should write. There are so few
> specifics, I don't know what if any new ideas are in it.

I agree completely. I make no claim to originality. I first heard
of the idea from Eric Hunting, but this is certainly not a "new"
concept by any stretch.

>It may be I am
> slow, but I am an engineer and physicists who worked in the
aerospace
> industry and now teach university courses on astronomy and space
technology.
> So it occurs to me if I don't understand, there may be many others
who also
> don't.

What is it that you don't understand? I don't really have
specifics. I am neither an engineer nor a teacher. I am just
someone who believes there has to be a way to bootstrap private
enterprise in space. So far, every idea I have heard involves new
technology (i.e., launch systems).

> I am about two-thirds of the way though Lou Dobbs' "Space: The
Next
> Business Frontier" pocket books, 2001, which I will review (when I
finish
> it) for this (and other) group(s). Dobbs claims ISS is going to
provide all
> of the things listed in this mailing for the "MODULAR UNMANNED
ORBITAL
> LABORATORY".

Yes. It is a considerable oversight on my part to not include
ISS/NASA as a consideration. They would "compete" with the MUOL.
But I believe there is more than enough room for competition. I
don't believe the ISS will be able to offer every company space to do
research that wants to.

>Transportation to and docking with such unmanned objects may
> be problematic.

How so?

>Maybe there will be demand for more "room" on orbit than is
> available on the ISS, but in any case we should see in the next few
years.

I believe there will be more than enough demand for research
platforms in the microgravity and vacuum environment of space.

> Sincerely, Jay Huebner

Thanks for your input.

Jack