"All this world is heavy with the promise of greater things, and a day will come, one day in the unending succession of days, when beings, beings who are now latent in our thoughts and hidden in our loins, shall stand upon this Earth as one stands upon a footstool, and laugh and reach out their hands amidst the stars."
H. G. Wells, 1903
Step Four: Growing the Market, Affordable-to-the-Individual Space Flight, and Return to the Moon!
One of the advantages of the Skyhook Gateway system is its growth potential. It can easily be strengthened, lengthened, and have its flight rate increased by the simple addition of cable strands and ion propulsion modules. The weight and sizes of these items are small enough that they can be lifted into orbit on a space available basis whenever the Spaceplane is flying with less than a full payload. As both the launch market and the Earth Orbiting Elevator grow, the user cost to the Midpoint Station has the potential of dropping to less than $100 per pound.
This is what is generally thought of as Affordable-to-the-Individual space flight.
With launch costs this low, the list of profitable commercial products that can be made in the vacuum and zero gravity of space will be immense.
For example;
- semiconductors,
- pharmaceuticals,
- optical lenses,
- specialty metals,
- ultraprecision bearings,
- ultrastrength carbon fibers,
- and nano devices to name a few.
Possible in-orbit users of the space environment at this price would include;
- university and commercial research facilities,
- factories,
- satellite and spacecraft servicing facilities,
- medical facilities,
- and space tourism.
As the market continues to grow eventually there will be enough people living and working in Earth orbit that it will become economically worthwhile to return to the Moon for a lower cost source of raw materials. Even with launch costs from Earth down to $100 per pound, it will always be cheaper to bring the basic materials such as water, oxygen, shielding, aluminum, iron, titanium, and silicon from the Moon due to the lower energy requirements of travel between the Moon and Earth orbit. All that's needed is enough people living and working in Earth orbit to create a demand large enough to justify the initial investment of establishing a commercial lunar resource extraction facility. Once the demand is there, the Lunar Base will follow.
Travel to the Moon from the upper end of the Earth Orbiting Elevator is very simple. Released at the proper moment, the Lunar bound Lunar Transfer Vehicle will need to make only a very small rocket burn in order to be on a free return orbit to the Moon. Three days later, as it swings by the Moon, a second rocket burn is made for slowing down to Lunar orbit velocity. When the Lunar Transfer Vehicle is ready to leave, another rocket burn is required to place it on a return orbit for the upper end of the Elevator. The entire round trip to the Moon can be made with a completely reusable single stage spacecraft similar in size to the original Apollo Command and Service Modules. Travel to and from the Lunar surface would be equally as easy with a single stage reusable Lunar Lander that would make use of Lunar derived propellants. It is likely that the Lunar Transfer Vehicle would also make use of Lunar derived propellants.
Once low cost Lunar materials are available, it will only be a matter of time before Satellite Solar Power Stations for beaming cheap pollution free power down to Earth are built, O'Neal Space Colonies are built, and Mars colony ships are built. Each and everyone, built and operated with private money as a profit making venture.
For I dipt into the future, far as human eye could see,
Saw the Vision of the world and all the wonder that would be;
Saw the heavens fill with commerce, argosies of magic sails,
Pilots of the purple twilight, dropping down with costly bales.
from "Locksley Hall" by Tennyson