Earth-Moon Network = Maturing Space Industries

> My post has nothing to do with asteroid prospecting specifically, but
> potential industries in space generally and the infrastructure needed
> to support these industries.
>

It is not possible to answer this question. It is along the lines of
"how long is a piece of string".
I disagree, but I do understand the point you are making.

As for a usefulness of a LEO space station for other purpose. Well, it
depends on your purpose.

Some people say it is already already useful and remains useful today (
ISS, Mir, Salyut, Skylab ).

Other people say it will never be useful.
I can't imagine anyone arguing the uselessness of a commercial LEO space station. Anyone on this list care to make a coherent argument AGAINST a commercial space station? I'm curious.

It depends on the quality of your crystal ball and/or how you define
"useful".

What is your definition of "useful" ?
Useful: Being of use or service.

In this context, can a LEO space station support industry in space? Should it?

My defintion is financially "profitable" (which is not self
sufficient). That means I think of it as a business, which means we
need a business plan.
Of course. Agree completely.

So what is your business plan?
Don't have one.

How do you propose to raise capital?
I don't.

How do you propose to make money?
The ability to make money in space is a foregone conclusion. It CAN be immensely profitable.

What are your markets?
Don't have any.

Once you
have addressed these questions, then the type of infrastructure you need
can be evaluated and will then become apparent.
I disagree. It is this thinking that leads to the obvious conclusion that space business is too costly. Think of it this way: How many Earth-based business would we have today if every one of them had to provide their own infrastructure (transportation network, communications, power, etc)? Considerably fewer, right? The fact is they don't. The infrastructure to support these businesses is already in place. They share that infrastructure with all the other businesses and residents of the "neighborhood". And it was never about deciding what business they wanted to go into before deciding on what infrastructure was needed. What I am trying to glean from this community is the infrastructure that would be required in space to support businesses in space.

As it exists right now, yes, all the infrastructure for every mission (or "space business') has to be brought up as payload. This, to me, is the most fundamental problem. The only way to resolve that, it seems to me, would be to provide some of the basic infrastructure necessary so companies wanting to do business/research in space could better afford to do so. Am I being any clearer?

Take the MUOL concept I spoke of in the past: Place a backplane in orbit that provides the infrastructure needed to support some basic product research and development (the power, comms, etc.). Lease out space on the backplane for companies interested in doing research. They design and deploy a module and plug it into "our" backplane. How much money does the company save by not having to provide it's own power and communications subsystems? How much time and money is saved by not having to worry about orbit allocation? How many millions of dollars are saved by "sharing" the infrastructure of their "neighbors"?

> Again, NEO prospecting is merely one potential industry in space. I am
> speaking much more generally. What physical elements are needed in
> space to provide the necessary infrastructure to support large-scale
> industries in space? Not just asteroid mining, though certainly not
> excluding it either.
>

Are you familiar with the O'Neill scenario ? It assumes that the big
market is energy for Earth, then the infrastructue is designed to
service that market.
Quite familiar with it, but I don't believe it to be practical. It would require Herculean political will and savvy to wrench the energy market from the OPEC nations. I don't see that happening in the near future. Solar Power Satellites are an excellent idea and one that has my whole-hearted support. But I don't see it as realistic in the next 50 or so years.

> But is it usefull/needed for other industries in space?
>

Are you familiar with the O'Neill scenario ?
:) Yep :)

Jack