Robber Barons in Space

--- In spacesettlers@yahoogroups.com, Al Globus wrote:
>
> On Monday, March 17, 2003, at 02:45 PM, jdr7181 wrote:
>
> > Ok, I'm sorry. You're saying that my suggestion that a product
can be
> > developed or invented in the microgravity environment of space
lacks
> > credibility? Are you saying that it is unlikely such a product
can be
> > developed? Surely you don't seriously believe that. You're just
> > playing devil's advocate, right?
>
> Actually, history suggests that it's unlikely, although always
> possible. Often, when we do find something in an orbital
laboratory,
> Earth bound laboratories quickly figure out a way to make the same
> thing in a gravity environment.

Yes, but the processes you speak of relied first on space-based
research before we could figure out how do it on Earth. There's value
in that, surely. Not enough to bootstrap space industry, granted, but
value nonetheless. Perhaps enough value to expand research? Possible,
right? The more research conducted the more likely we are to invent
or discover some product whose cost effective production is exclusive
to the space environment.

But not all potential products or processes developed in space can be
duplicated in an Earth-based factory or lab. For example:

[Excerpted from a paper by Dr. Richard Crews]

The Center for Macromolecular Crystallography (CMC) located at the
University of Alabama at Birmingham has used the low-gravity
environment of space to grow protein crystals for use in drug
design. The CMC has attempted to crystallize hundreds of proteins in
space, each with a potential product. One product that is working
toward market readiness is a treatment for influenza. Another
product resulting from improved X-ray diffraction analysis of
crystals grown in microgravity is an inhibitor to Factor D. Factor D
is a naturally occuring protein that causes problems for heart attack
and stroke victims, and for heart surgery patients.
[http://microgravity.nasa.gov/pegBiot.html]

The Space Vacuum Epitaxy Center in Houston, Texas is developing new
techniques to use the ultra-vacuum of space for processing ultra-
pure, thin-film materials for improving electronics and computers.
In space they have used a vacuum environment that is up to 10,000
times more pure than the best vacuum chambers on Earth.
[http://engineer.tamu.edu/tees/csce/links.htm]

> That's why the only economic product
> from space is information (comm. sats and Earth observing).
Building a
> huge scenario around a product that doesn't exist, we don't know
how to
> make, and assuming orbit will have a decisive advantage seems like
> building on sand.
>
> What we need is MUCH better transportation to orbit. Everything
else
> is building castles in the air.

Why don't we have better transportation to orbit? It seems there is
little incentive in the aerospace industry or the government to
develop new transportation systems as long as the existing crop of
launch vehicles satisfy the current market demand. Another problem is
it would appear the comm satellite industry has peeked, at least for
the moment. With the reduced demand for launch services, how on Earth
can we get "MUCH better transportation to orbit?"

Jack