Economically viable lunar development

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

It is generally accepted that continued large-scale exploration and development of the Moon would depend more on the private sector than on governments. There are two reasons for this. The first is that governments do not have excess funds. Instead, cutting budgets and downsizing are the primary concerns. The second and more important reason is that there is little public support for Space in general. While most people, including even a few elected officials, understand the importance of national efforts in Space, national spans of attention tend to be short. Therefore, since Space requires a long time frame, it cannot retain the attention of citizen or government, and it has a difficult time attracting investor financing. A new paradigm is needed for the further development of Space, in general, and the Moon, in particular. In particular, it is necessary to deconstruct such a long-term project into independently financeable units that have dual use potential. This essay proposes such a framework in general terms. This approach has not been suggested elsewhere.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationSpace 1998
PublisherAmerican Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Pages780-785
Number of pages6
ISBN (Print)0784403392, 9780784403396
DOIs
StatePublished - 1998
Event6th ASCE Specialty Conference and Exposition on Engineering, Construction, and Operations in Space, Space 1998 - Albuquerque, NM, United States
Duration: Apr 26 1998Apr 30 1998

Publication series

NameSpace 1998

Other

Other6th ASCE Specialty Conference and Exposition on Engineering, Construction, and Operations in Space, Space 1998
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityAlbuquerque, NM
Period4/26/984/30/98

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Aerospace Engineering

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