Introduction
As a result of the tremendous growth in space communications, great interest in future expanded economic utilization of space exists. In 1986, a multimillion dollar grant was awarded to the University of Wisconsin-Madisson's Engineering department to study commercial applications of space. The grant was for research in food production, the use of robots, and to study the feasibility of mining Helium 3 on the Moon. Helium 3 is a gas which is not present on Earth but is known to be plentiful in space. This gas is seen as a critical component in the development of the emerging technology of nuclear fusion.
Faculty at Wisconsin Madison has developed a concept to use Helium 3 in a radiation free Fusion reactor. In order for that concept to be implemented it would first be necessary to procure the gas in sufficient quantities to experiment on. While there is disagreement over the advisability and timing over space exploitation, most agree that we have only scratched the surface of the economic potential of this final frontier. The manufacture of materials in space such as crystals, alloys, and pharmaceutical are as potentially lucrative, if not more so, then the current computer revolution and the emerging field of genetic engineering.
Future Demand of Energy
Global demand and need for energy will likely increase by at least a factor of eight by the mid-point of the 21st Century. This factor represents the total of a factor of two to stay even with population growth and a factor of four or more to meet the aspirations of people who wish to significantly improve their standards of living. There is another unknown factor that will be necessary to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change, whether warming or cooling, and the demands of new, energy intensive technologies (Johnson, Wetzel, 56-68).
