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Like? What industry really needs things floating in space that are only constrained by cost to launch? I can see lots of science mission perhaps, but even that
by simiones 2y ago
Like? What industry really needs things floating in space that are only constrained by cost to launch? I can see lots of science mission perhaps, but even that seems somewhat limited.
- tekla 2y agoInternet
- dylan604 2y agoThere have been tests of producing fiber optic cables (iirc) made in zeroG. There are other things as well that are way too cost prohibitive now, but might become viable opportunities with this type of capability.
- ctoth 2y agoAsteroid mining.
- bryanlarsen 2y agoTourism is likely the next big market; cost is a major barrier.
- concurrentsquar 2y agoNobody has mentioned space-based solar power yet (https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/otps-sbsp-report-final-tagged-approved-1-8-24-tagged-v2.pdf https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/otps-sbsp-re...: "Launch is the largest cost driver..."), which would the cheapest (and currently only technologically feasible) route to turn humanity into a Kardashev Type 1 (or 2 if we construct a Dyson swarm) civilization (without really cheap fusion reactors).
- dragonsky67 2y agoLike, pretty much 90% of any space based things from science fiction. Imagine if what you put in orbit (or indeed into deep space) was limited by your imagination, not by the very limited capability of launch vehicles. I would not be surprised that most revolutionary thing that this level of launch capacity will enable hasn't even been suggested yet.