Dr. Twiggs (Stanford University) also mentioned in his recent letter that “There is talk of subsidizing the university launch costs (for CubeSats), but then the subsidizers will get involved in who they subsidize.” It is certainly true that the paperwork – and uncertainties - could be more trouble than they are worth -- a typical “Government Assistance” phenomenon. However, even a poorly designed subsidy program is worth something. It will get more small satellites into space, and it will show both the launch providers and satellite developers that there is real interest in this market. It will “Prove in Space” innovative technical approaches and economical hardware. It will qualify more engineers and scientists as having personally succeeded with the design, construction and flight of a space system. (At some point Personal involvement over the systems spectrum will win greater respect than Team participation, focused on a small part of one subsystem. The “Teamwork” pendulum has swung too far, since a great team actually needs a great leader.) Small businesses can make do selling subsystems to university teams while they perfect the capabilities needed for serious entrepreneurial space efforts.

It would be nice if the US Government were doing something to “preserve” the “unique technological superiority” so aggressively guarded by ITAR regulations. At present these laws complicate a team's efforts to get an experimental satellite launched in India, even if all its components were produced in Pacific Rim countries! Meanwhile, the excellent universities in India have a “fast track” to a cooperative launch center. Another decade of neglect could permanently relegate Space Technology to the long list of technologies the US now imports. (Currently including, of course, Atlas motors, Zenit launch vehicles, Progress orbital cargo and Soyuz astronaut transportation services, as well as VCRs, DVD systems, HDTV and LCDs, TVs, Cell Phones, Cameras, Camcorders and Computers.)

While I dream of finding the money to showcase “Ultralight Spaceflight” in reality, I have arranged to share my thoughts about what it should look and feel like in a series of short fiction pieces.
See: Story List (RPS AC Content).
Very soon, my “Back to the Moon” story (with its twists) will be added to the list.

My nonfiction efforts will continue next week with preliminary concepts for “Moon Base One” and how it will begin with $100 Million funding. That will of course build only “Base Camp”, although it will be dug in with the Lunar equivalent of “Snow Caves” and could be continually occupied for more than two years. The transition to a Lunar colony will happen much sooner than expected, and occur with remarkably little fanfare!