Orbital Economy

> I've been thinking about the problem of finding extraterrestrial
> gold, and I was wondering if someone wiser than I would pick this
> idea apart:
>
> Orbital Satellite Manufacture. We currently have to launch all
> satellites from the Earth's surface. Satellites are used in
several
> industries, including communications, entertainment, military and
> science.
>
> If the satellites could be manufactured in orbit, the cost of lift-
> off would be eliminated.
>
> The problem that comes to mind immediately is, of course,
resources.
> With solar power collectors and automated assemblies, the main
issues
> it seems to me are materials and maintenance labor.
>
> What other problems/advantages does the group see?

I'd suggest you perform the analysis and ASSUME NOTHING. Start with
a blank slate with respect to assets in orbit. So if you want to
build a satellite, where are you going to get the solar cells, the
circuit board, the solder, the resistors, the capacitors, the
radiators, the integrated circuits, the memory chips, etc?

If everything except PV cells must come from Earth, then why even
introduce the manufacturing risk and incur the maufacturing
investment for the solar celss.

The launch cost is saved by building everything in orbit but it is a
false economy.

You may sense from my response that the theme is the same as the
orbital economy "dance" we went through a few weeks ago :)

That's my 2 cents worth.

TangoMan