Here are the posts I’d like to write over the coming weeks to flesh out the Space Village Business Plan (in addition to the two posts already written):
- Conceptual architecture of the first village in space: based on the Kalpana 56 meter/4RPM Globus design.
- Prerequisite to space settlement: cheap, reliable transportation to orbit. Cost per seat must be less than $100,000 or less. Ideally it will be “full fare economy.” Good news: this will likely happen.
- What we can do while we wait for number two above to happen i.e. the incremental path to settlement:
- Step 1 on the path (each of these will be at least one separate blog post): ground-based research and marketing of space farm-related products (I’ve already started this part – more to come on this)
- Step 2: Market motion sickness reduction training developed by NASA Ames
- Step 3: Send a scale model of the settlement to space, spin it around, see how it behaves. Develop wobble control software.
- Step 4: Once cargo prices to orbit fall significantly: assemble an uncrewed rotating ring in orbit that others can rent space on for robotic experiments. Uses wobble control developed in Step 3 as competitive advantage. Then, a big jump:
- Step 5: Assemble the zero-gee core of the settlement, sell tickets.
- Step 6. Assemble the lunar-gee level of the settlement, sell tickets.
- Step 7. Assemble the martian-gee level of the settlement, sell tickets.
- Step 8. Complete the settlement structure. Test. Then move in!
- Step 9. Start the next settlement…
- For each step describe what it is, the value proposition for each step, capital needed, expertise needed, competition and obstacles, and market demand. Might need a few posts for each step.
- Raising capital – propose pre-selling and crowdfunding as innovative ways to jumpstart the early stages of the business. Discuss financials of ‘Airbnb concept’ for full-up settlement (Step 9).
- Discuss need for diversity – why will this business be very explicit about the need to hire and inspire more than just white men (although they’re great too).
- Discuss philosophy to government funding – r&d, anchor tenant, etc.
- Call to action: we need good people!
Kalpana 2 RPM Settlement Concept Interior. Credit: Bryan Versteeg.
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