Spaceship One: a new Space Race

>I'd like to comment that Spaceship One is opening a new space race, a
>private space race, this time. I am sure that the competition between
>the USA and the Soviet Union make the moon landing possible. It was
>the fierce competition for prestige the force that impulsed the space
>development. When the Cold War stopped, in the early 90's, all the
>space programs were slowed down. Today, it does not seem to exist a
>real interest by NASA to achieve great things. They make a lot of
>projects but they do nothing.
>
>Now, with Spaceship One, a new space race is starting. This time, a
>private enterprise competition. Space tourism, and its potential
>money, is the reason to go there. I do not care if they do just for
>money. If they develop better and cheaper ways to go to space, that
>will allow to open it to human progress. Not only for tourism but for
>conquest.
>
>If that happens, Space Settlements will be a lot closer to be a
>reality.
>
>Please, comment.

I hope so. But let's keep in mind that the US-USSR space race in the 60's
was possible because of the unlimited checkbook provided by the taxpayers of
the US and the comrades of the USSR. The current space race has to occur
with the agreement of the notoriously fickle investor. Critics of the
Capitalist system complain, quite accurately, about the short-term profit
expectations of Wall Street investors. Major long-term projects that can
take a decade or more to earn a profit are strongly discouraged by the
present capital system. Corporate CEO's from many sectors of Wall Street
complain that their grand 5-year plans have to turn a profit each and every
quarter, or stockholders will revolt.

During the 80's, the Japanese government earned praise for its
taxpayer-supported Research and Development agency, which had the patience,
and the billions of yen, to fund long-term projects. Then they would find a
way to turn successful research projects over to Japanese corporations once
they were ready to sell. Taking the risk and feeding the nation's high tech
industry kept the Japanese economy sharp for a long time, until their
banking system pulled the rug out in the 90's.

It's no surprise that the vision, and the PATIENCE, of investor Paul Allen
is behind the leading X-Prize contender. He understands these realities,
but he can afford to wait, and maybe even waste a few million, to see it
through. May he live for a century.

The success of other long-payoff projects in the new space race will be
directly related to the number of patient billionaires out there to sink
bucks into them. There is at least one other, the owner of Bigelow
International (a big hotel chain), who is funding research into an
inflatable orbital hotel. The Bigelow hab won't be available for check in
for a few more years, but the guy has the investor backing to hold out that
long.

Brad

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