OT: Governmental Space Agencies or Private

[Tnarg]

I'm reading a great book by Dan Brown "Deception Piont" that talks about how NASA undermines private space orginaztions from accomplishing their goals into getting into space and exploiting the boundless resources there. Of course this is fiction, but it leads me to become curious.

I am now torn on wehter to support NASA and their budget to continue exploring origins theory and other explorations that gain no profit in an economic sense. The book talks about how NASA basically has a monopoly in space and imposes regulations that make it difficult for private organizations to capitalize in space. Reasons for doing this include the trashing of space, as many money hungry entrepreuners would quickly turn space into strip mines and glitzy hotels. Soon taxpayers would protest giving NASA the billions a year to explore space in a scientific nature and eventually the plug would be pulled.

So my real question is if the Private Sector where allowed to begin their capitaliztion of space, what do you think would really happen?

Personally I believe that it would be a radical jump to at least get us(the common person) up there soon. I am not sure what would happen to specific research such as the studying of the heavens without economic gain, but I am sure there would be leaps and bounds as far as technology and solar exploration in a relatively short time.

Again I am sure everything that I meantioned as far as what NASA and government does is fiction.
Just looking for additional input.

http://www.space-frontier.org/PressR...housevote.html

[ May 31, 2004, 21:33: Message edited by: Tnarg ]