The feasibility of kick starting a real space age

[nimbus]

A hypothetical scenario. Public and political dissent is ignored for the sake of the meat of the subject:

What if the next president decided that the USA (and any other country who wanted to buy in) would move to make maximum expansion into space. Would it be feasible at all, within the next 10 years (2x4 year terms + 2 years for whoever followed to non-destructively close it down) for the USA to build enough in space for it all to break even?

Space stations, mining, orbital or lunar manufacturing, solar power, server farms on the Moon, anything goes, so long as it's sustainable from year 8 or 10 at the latest.

 

[SteveCNC]

It takes more than just the president to do something , he still has to run most things through congress and the house . So what it would take is another president like JFK that had the countries hearts and minds completely (the majority of it anyway) . No president since has had that much ability to sway change , anything he said he wanted he got . Obama is trying to do the same thing but having much less success , so I seriously doubt Obama is gonna make it a second term . Will the next president be able to do more for space ? hard to say at this point . My biggest hopes and dreams are with private enterprise now that space is opened up and no longer an exclusive thing .

I think the higher powers at be were nervous about how much clout JFK had and that's why he was killed . He may have been a democrat but he acted like a republican .

 

[nimbus]

That's the politics of it. Nothing more specific in that respect other than the motivation being to get out into space and create a ton of jobs to boot. I'm not talking about Obama or his successor or anyone in particular, only the technical side in a hypothetical world where it happened as I described.

 

[Valcan]

That's the politics of it. Nothing more specific in that respect other than the motivation being to get out into space and create a ton of jobs to boot. I'm not talking about Obama or his successor or anyone in particular, only the technical side in a hypothetical world where it happened as I described.

I think it could be done not in 8 to 10 years but more like 10 to 20. Who knows with the way materials and computing science are going.

 

[kelvinzero]

So Kennedy is an honorary Republican? High praise indeed..
Maybe Obama will become an honorary Republican also if Commercial space takes off.

More back on topic, we might need some more definition. I mean commercial space flights already exist and make money launching satelites so what do you mean by break even?

Im guessing what you mean is something much more open ended. A commercial success that we can be confident will just keep growing without any more visionary political leadership required, until eventually we have self sufficient offworld colonies and a multiworld civilisation?

 

[nimbus]

That would do, yes. I mean such an expansionist roadmap that'd pay itself off asap and then keep paying off as much as possible. I suppose first making orbital access cheap enough that it's not a bottleneck anymore, or at least nowhere near what it is today. Then making that industrial/commercial/etc base out in space self-perpetuating asap.

Let's say given at least the same funding proportions as Kennedy got going with. The goal is maximum exploitation of space resources, asap. Would the USA (since it's pretty much the only country who'd manage it, or the one that'd probably most benefit if others joined in) only substantially profit from this headstart, as a global power, much later than 15-20 years in? Would the jobs created by this initiative be enough to overcome a recession like the one we're in at the moment?

 

[SteveCNC]

It's hard to say what kind of jobs would be created as a result , sort of like job corp but for space maybe even if you wanted to go full on . Team up with Bigelow and SpaceX and ULA and it would be possible to fully take over LEO with enough crap to stop global warming . Ok maybe not quite that much but still , a lot could be put up if we really wanted to . One problem with a large complex in space (or many) is servicing them with their life support needs . Might be interesting , I've never looked into specifics on waste management and life support needs (non recyclables) but on a large scale it could be rather daunting . Can't wait to see the how to video in the bathroom at the bigelow hotel in space . Of course in a space hotel my wildest fantasy can be fulfilled lol you know you've all thought it , the spin move .

One thing I think may actually kick things into high gear is if someone starts building a base on the moon . The next land grab of the century will be on ! Prime sites will get grabbed quick . Everyone will be afraid of being left out of the loop .

 

[Valcan]

It's hard to say what kind of jobs would be created as a result , sort of like job corp but for space maybe even if you wanted to go full on . Team up with Bigelow and SpaceX and ULA and it would be possible to fully take over LEO with enough crap to stop global warming . Ok maybe not quite that much but still , a lot could be put up if we really wanted to . One problem with a large complex in space (or many) is servicing them with their life support needs . Might be interesting , I've never looked into specifics on waste management and life support needs (non recyclables) but on a large scale it could be rather daunting . Can't wait to see the how to video in the bathroom at the bigelow hotel in space . Of course in a space hotel my wildest fantasy can be fulfilled lol you know you've all thought it , the spin move .

One thing I think may actually kick things into high gear is if someone starts building a base on the moon . The next land grab of the century will be on ! Prime sites will get grabbed quick . Everyone will be afraid of being left out of the loop .

I think one of the biggest unknowns right now is how the bigelow moduals might change the future. A nation no longer needs to be able to develope its own launch vehicles and stations to conduct reaserch and such in space. They can just rent a bigelow modual and have the company do most everything.

Who knows maybe later companies will start renting, leasing or buying these moduals for future uses like construction/repair for on orbit facilities.