Mass and strategies

> Asteroid mining alone isn't going to work -- obviously.

I don't think that's obvious. Drop a load of metal or basalt-fiber,
or a structure too large for standard railway cars, anywhere in the
world with the same shipping cost (downhill all the way). Provide
platinum for all the catalytic converters and fuel cells on earth.
Sell propellant and components to governments for interplanetary
research missions. Sounds like paying work to me, with a well-
diversified line of end products.

> > -- Private transportation in space. Your own spacecraft.
> > -- SPS
> > -- Tourism - orbit the moon
> > -- Tourist facilities (space hotels)

If your private spacecraft has no other destinations, that makes it
tourism. So you're down to tourism and SPS.

> > By the way, there's no need to borrow a dime for this.
> > The customer covers the tab. Period.

Businesses borrow. The customer doesn't pay until they get their
goods, they don't get the goods until the goods are made, and the
goods don't get made until the capital is in place. Or if the
customer does pay before the business is up and running, then you're
borrowing from the customer.