AckSed Posted September 22 Share Posted September 22 This is a film, currently on Amazon Prime, that is a series of interviews talking to newspace (and a few traditional space) companies, legislators, non-profits and science communicators about the present and future of the space economy. So why should you watch it? It's light on the details (I would pay everything in my bank account to look through his B-reels), it's not that well-edited and it has a 'personality' hosting it. However. What it does do quite well is draw a picture of the growing market beyond SpaceX and Blue Origin, the diversity of the people all over the world and the warming attitude to space as a new, unique opportunity. For now, and for a future generation. If nothing else, you get names and faces to put to important, non-US companies like Planet or Exolaunch, who've been overshadowed by the billionaire behemoths but are profitable. The actions by non-profits are enlightening too: a parabolic flight of people with physical disabilities (blindness, missing limbs) to see how they performed in zero-G; or 'citizen astronauts' being paid to go to space on suborbital flights, with the understanding that they then go on to promote and talk about space. There are now space agencies being set up in over 40 countries, a specific UN body for inter-country co-operation on space, and hundreds of startups working on this or that aspect of space (he makes the point that most of them will fail, which is realistic). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerbiloid Posted September 22 Share Posted September 22 15 hours ago, AckSed said: The actions by non-profits are enlightening too: a parabolic flight of people with physical disabilities (blindness, missing limbs) to see how they performed in zero-G To see, what's really needed in zero-g. Just for future. Some bad feelings that not so much. Spoiler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cracktacular Posted October 1 Share Posted October 1 I dunno about a trillion dollars...well maybe if inflation doesn't slow down, but I do believe that the practical value of the technology we will develop for space will be worth way more than that. Also, I think one of the biggest benefits of space is inspiring the younger generation. We need hard problems to solve to make people want to be the best they can be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AckSed Posted October 1 Author Share Posted October 1 One key technology is molten oxide electrolysis, where it doesn't care if it's Lunar regolith or marginal Earth basalt, it can extract iron, silicon and aluminium just the same, with oxygen as a byproduct. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerbiloid Posted October 2 Share Posted October 2 16 hours ago, AckSed said: One key technology is molten oxide electrolysis, where it doesn't care if it's Lunar regolith or marginal Earth basalt, it can extract iron, silicon and aluminium just the same, with oxygen as a byproduct. Together with sulfur, still requiring the separation and purification, like on the Earth. Unless the elements are separated in a strong magnetic field. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AckSed Posted October 4 Author Share Posted October 4 Hydrosat, the infra-red imaging company mentioned in the film, that sells its services to farmers to increase their yields, has broadened its reach: https://spacenews.com/hydrosat-extends-reach-in-latin-america/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tater Posted October 4 Share Posted October 4 On 9/21/2024 at 7:26 PM, AckSed said: So why should you watch it? Huh. I haven't watched anything on Prime since they added commercials, haven't even browsed the videos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AckSed Posted October 4 Author Share Posted October 4 It was originally a Kickstarter project, so that's why it's a little, er, 'quirky'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farmerben Posted October 7 Share Posted October 7 Calcium is also a major byproduct of refining regolith. What uses are there for calcium? Perhaps in the vacuum of space calcium mirrors would be viable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerbiloid Posted October 7 Share Posted October 7 17 hours ago, farmerben said: What uses are there for calcium? Lime. Just add water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AckSed Posted October 7 Author Share Posted October 7 18 hours ago, farmerben said: Calcium is also a major byproduct of refining regolith. What uses are there for calcium? Perhaps in the vacuum of space calcium mirrors would be viable. I did read a 1950s SF story (years ago now) about workers using liquid sodium to paint parabolic mirrors on a solar-thermal power plant on a space station, and it's also abundant in regolith. Solar PV was barely a dream back then, which is why von Braun's lunar lander used such for power. Calcium may have use as a reducing agent for smelting iron, kind like using aluminium in a thermite reaction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farmerben Posted October 8 Share Posted October 8 Lots of chemistry in this video about separating alloys from lunar dust. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nuke Posted October 30 Share Posted October 30 thats such a good channel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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