Overview:
I may discuss the surprisingly large number of companies who have developed
and are developing spacecraft. I will discuss why many national agencies have
accepted private funds for space endeavors (econ 101). I will discuss how
private endeavors will lead to cost reductions in space travel (econ 101),
thus making space travel broadly available to the average citizenry. I am
of the opinion that space travel should someday be as common and safe as commercial
air travel. If you can fly on an airline or ride a moderate roller coaster,
you should be able to have a smooth spaceflight. This means that if you are
middle class, overweight, smoke, drink, or are less than a perfect specimen
of humanity, you should be able to enjoy a space ride in the near future at
an affordable cost. I may discuss pods, modules, and air locks that could
make payload acceptance universal, including people cabs. I am an advocate
of modular engineering and design. Under the space colonization section, I
have discussed logistical support for long endeavors.
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Spacecraft:
There is a multitude of emerging spacecraft internationally, and within private
markets. There is also a plethora of spacecraft on the drawing boards. One
of the things that I discuss under the space colonization section, is the
engineering concepts that should be required and considered including easy
retrofitting or universal airlock mechanism. I will not cover engineering
too much here, but urge you to eventually read the space colonization page
as a supplement to this page. I also have added an engineering section to
this website.
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Rocketry:
Rocketry can be a relatively inexpensive way of offering logistical support
for space travel. When I say relatively inexpensive, you have to consider
that this website is geared toward general space travel and colonization,
which is a massive effort and endeavor. I discuss logistics under the colonization
page. Once again, as I continue to point out throughout this website, I urge
you to visit all the sections of this entire website for a full comprehension
of what may be required for spaceflight and colonization. You can click on
the sitemap for all the pages available. So then, back to the concept of relatively
inexpensive spaceflight. It may cost around $1.5 million for a launch - and
these prices would likely decrease in a market saturation situation. A massive
endeavor such as this, would almost certainly yield ultimate cost reductions
and this should be factored into any cost analyses.
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Satellites:
Artificial satellites may be one possible example of space economics and econ
101. First, we have had telecommunications deregulation from the mid 1990s
congress. Deregulation provides easier entrance into markets and helps foster
risk taking. The result of deregulation is economic freedoms and consumer
choice. One must ask what the government is doing in regulating so many businesses
in the first place, and frightening potential investors. But I also cover
this topic throughout this website, and will not cover econ 101 too extensively
here. I do want to point out however, that many satellites are private communications
satellites, and consumer choice in telecommunications gets broader and broader
every year. This no doubt plays a role in cost reductions when launching payloads
into circular, elliptical, or stationary orbit. The more we launch for communications,
studies, navigation, or whatever, the more that costs will be reduced as you
shop around within competing interests. Additionally, because of networking
and affiliations, technology will ultimately be shared, which will enhance
overall engineering design for space vehicles, products, etc. Folks, which
is easier to sell; bogged down government and red tape procedures, or spaceflight
beyond anything NASA has achieved. Having said this, NASA is a great reservoir
of public information that is free (or tax funded). But these days, that is
all NASA should be, is a data center for public information, because it apparently
can not accomplish a moon or solar system colonization in many decades and
hundreds of billions of dollars. To NASAs credit, it has undertaken monumental
missions to the heavens inspite of government interference, but I think we
need to rely on private sources for local space colonization and endeavors.
Of course, NASA was born under the Kennedy Administration. I have nothing
but respect for JFK and his mostly limited government agenda. NASA was born
out of a national agenda and challenge, but JFK for the most part understood
the downfalls of big government. So then, we have thousands and maybe tens
of thousands of orbiting satellites (a lot of them privately operated). We
have a multi-national government space station. We have had other space stations
and labs. So again, I proclaim that we are in the space and information age
and people like me are going to keep pushing the agenda - with a lot of knowledge
of how free enterprise could help achieve better results.
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Manned Missions:
Manned missions, or womanned missions? Folks, I don't care! I don't care if
it is an Asian mission, or a Polynesian mission. The mission is the same.
What I am speaking about is free markets providing goods and services that
we need and want. In this case, I am speaking of free markets stepping up
to the challenge of the final frontier of the exploration and colonization
of space. Of course, JFK helped set a national agenda for the Apollo Missions.
Reagan promoted SDI, or "star wars" and under the Reagan Administration
we had many achievements in space exploration. In the mid 1990s, the congress
deregulated telecommunications which helped promote additional telecommunications
satellites. Their efforts are commendable, but government still grew. And
big government has not achieved a space program that the private sector can
achieve. In several decades we have had the Apollo Missions and today, we
speak of a manned mission to Mars. What I speak of accomplishing with the
budget of 1 year in the US economy, or 2.2 trillion dollars, is a complete
colonization of our solar system. But, I am pragmatic and know that a 2.2
trillion budget for space won't happen, because big government is too busy
with a bunch of little projects that it has no business being involved in.
So unfortunately, I can not offer too much information for manned missions.
I will only say that the technology exists for such an endeavor, and that
the private market can make it happen. I may use the term "private"
throughout this website which is interchangeable with "free". I
use private to mean capitalist, free, or without government interference or
intervention.
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Nuclear Fuel:
Throughout this website, I cover Atomic Physics, Chemistry, Math & Measure,
Science, Particle Physics, Quantum Theory, and more regarding space technology,
marine technology, and national defense. I cover many of the hurdles that
must be overcome for spaceflight. I explain why nuclear fuel is so important
to a modern economy, and why nuclear fuel may be the fuel of general space
travel. At this point, I will urge you to visit the space colonization section
and atomic theory section for a better explanation of why nuclear fuel may
be the fuel of space travel.
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Space Stations:
Once again, big government has not achieved the potential of space stations.
Governments have accomplished a handful of space stations, but that is it.
Once again, there is not too much to write here. This is unfortunate. This
should be a rich page with tons of content. This is one reason that this website
is concerned with private endeavors in spaceflight. I believe there would
be, and will be much more to write into these sections under private control
and operation.
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Space Hotels:
Space hotels would no doubt be a private tourism enterprise. The tourism industry
is huge. Do you want to go to the Bahamas, or do you want the best view of
the Bahamas, the world, and the stars? How about a view of the cosmos without
atmospheric disruption? Folks, let us dabble in an additional chunk of massive
economies of scale for an additional few billion dollars. This is not evil
greedy capitalism. This is saying that there is a tourism market, and the
tourism market seems to have overlooked the potential of space tourism. Or
like big government, the current status quo is comfortable. Maybe spaceflight
is uncomfortable. Well, sitting in the Bahamas on a 100 degree day may be
uncomfortable. I have heard so many excuses. I hope to fill this page with
rich content in the future. There are plenty of companies stepping up to the
challenge of space travel. Please check back from time to time for updates.
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Summary:
Our national accomplishments in spaceflight have not produced any major manned
colonizations. National efforts in spaceflight served a purpose in differing
eras. I believe we need a return to some fundamental principles of free american
enterprise which will be the solution for space tourism, R&D, space science,
mining, exploration, and more. Please peruse this website for much of the
information needed to accomplish human spaceflight and colonization. As I
have mentioned, there are plenty of companies in the rocketry business, and
quite a few in the spaceflight business. I hope to highlight some of these
companies and add them to the various sections of this website.
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Pic Group:FOLDER: spacecraft
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