BRIEF ON COMMERCIAL USES OF SPACE

- Space is a medium, rather than an object, for commercial use; it must have/serve a purpose

- Space can be used to clean up earth's environment from the hazardous materials that we generate/have in storage

-- Lunar base (or even other planetary moons) for processing/burying hazardous materials

-- Other planetary moons offer the advantage of near absolute zero temperatures thus life-cycle of radioactive materials may be "frozen in time" in stable environment for possible later uses/scientific studies in cryogenics/studies in quantum mechanics, etc.

--- Triton and Titan are the moons considered because of their extremely cold environment

-- Alternatively, containers of hazardous materials may be launched towards the sun for safe permanent and complete disposal

-- Hazardous cargo transportation will be bulk of space business

--- Need to solicit container/vehicular designs from industry

- Scientific discoveries/research are useful benefits to be derived from the primary purpose of hazardous materials disposal

-- It is politically difficult to advocate space exploration for potential scientific use. Contrariwise, environmental clean-up is something that all can understand and is viewed as essential to our future

- Commercial opportunity exist for businesses engaged in waste disposal

-- Private industry packages/transports waste to central launch facilities

--- Lunar base itself built by private industry for government. Private industry can also run lunar bases under contract from government.

-- Government responsible for launch of materials into space and arrival of materials to appropriate destination

- What needs to be done?

-- Long-term environmental space policy/commitment by US government

--- Alternatively, these policies may be carried out under UN auspices combining launch facilities of launch capable countries into integrated operations

-- In 25 years, environmental disposal policy in space fully implemented and on-going operations

--- 2008 - 2011: Feasibility studies completed; container prototypes built; lunar base design complete/launch towards Sun project in full development stage; industrial contract sought/completed

--- 2013 - 2017: Construction of lunar base begun; Solar launch completed/results evaluated; Triton/Titan design, scientific evaluation of benefits/debits, cost evaluation/merits of Triton/Titan project

--- 2018 - 2020: Lunar base completed, limited operations in storage of materials; continued launches towards sun with the most hazardous materials on board

--- 2021 - 2025: Lunar base in full operations; launches from earth occur on regular schedule, backlog of hazardous materials accumulated on earth reduced by half; launches towards sun with most hazardous radioactive materials on board continue; launch towards Triton/Titan with experimental payload

--- 2026 - 2030: Environmental disposal policy in space is normal part of our daily life, policy review completed to evaluate results; manufacture of hazardous materials/processing accomplished in moon base, not on earth

-- Government must prioritize disposal operations in terms of what needs to be disposed of immediately versus what can wait

-- Commercial opportunities are abundant; government must actively open door for business access

--- Government must recognize that private business cannot go at it alone; environmental disposal policy in space is truly a joint governmental-private industry partnership

-- Costs can be recovered in part by disposal fees charged to the generators of hazardous wastes; disposal companies assume responsibilities for the proper processing/compliance with environmental regulations. Hazardous waste generators only have to contract for disposal/identify materials

- Clearly we shouldn't continue to pour in money to temporary solutions as we do now. Environmental disposal policy in space is a permanent solution to the hazardous waste problem that confronts us today

- Environmental disposal policy in space is a long-term commitment by the government in partnership with industry to clean up our planet through the abundant medium of space

-- National consensus must be achieved in order to accomplish this

-- School education plays key role, with math/science needs looming large

--- Positive aspect rather than negative, i.e., we need better scientific education at earlier ages

--- Industry must emphasize that this are the needs that will generate tomorrow's jobs