Energy is only as free as the technology to capture and distribute it.
The advantages in manufacturing are cancelled out by the costs. Are the
corporations that want to use microgravity for production going to
absorb all the risks? Or is this yet another example of socializing risk
with federal investment in R&D and privatizing the profits? Uh oh. That
gets us back to what's wrong with health insurance legislation.
Robots are as smart as the scientists who design them. Robots have done
well for us so far. Patience with the slow rate of advances for human
space travel will make travel safer and more productive in the long run.
Research now--travel later.
I have a ticket for travel to Mars that I got years ago at Cape
Canaveral. I'll send it to you if I can find it. Ready for a trip to
Mars? Imagine riding a bicycle on Mars! [The ticket for a flight to the
moon expired 10 years ago.]
Microgravity offers real advanages in alloy and semiconductor
maufacturing, also pharmaceuticals. We now know how to construct
large structures in orbit and maintain a long term presence in space.
Energy is unlimited and free. Four nations/national consortia can boost
cargo into orbit and to the station assuming JAXA's HTV is successful.
I see the potential as enormous. But we have to be there to realize it.
The ISS is a good start. If we look at it as a platform for the assembly
of space-only ships, and as a fuel transfer point, we could explore the
L4 and L5 Lagrangian points. The moon is probably not a good idea
if we can't prove the presence of water.
Robots aren't smart enough to do it all, and if we look at this new
frontier as a government monopoly we are shortchanging ourselves.
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