Earth-to-LEO transportation systems which would cost no more per person than transoceanic travel does now. The complex would be scaled to accept sufficient visitors to the games, possibly followed by an extended “worlds' fair” to pay for most of the construction of the facility. The modern Olympic games were started in 1896 as a means to bring the youth of the world together in friendly, non-political athletic competition. Surprisingly, the private International Olympic Committee has been able to organize Olympic games for most of the scheduled opportunities during the past 80 years (91). This must be a deep statement that the games appeal to an extremely wide range of motivated people. Such powerful interest should be applicable to the intense symbolism and novelty of starting the second century of games above (but clearly not beyond) the politics of Earth. Rapid advances in automation, if coupled with access to space resources, could result in a “machine economy” which spreads throughout the solar system at a faster rate than do humans. Under human management or policy directives biospheres could be created throughout the solar system. This activity could go on with little dependence on our traditional Earth based economies which are prone to economic depressions as part of complicated business cycles. Will a resource creating “machine economy” pushing outward through the solar system stabilize the national economies of Earth? There is considerable distrust of technology. Often this distrust is justified when wastes are disposed of in a sloppy manner or gross living conditions result from bad planning. However, one sometimes feels pressed by the enormous mass of people which our technology makes possible. Human mobility has increased and we can, and do, intrude on one another in many ways. This is a direct result of living on a finite plant. A “machine economy” provided with the proper construction policies or directives could certainly accommodate the willing disbursal of the human population throughout the solar system for several centuries. Those who remain on Earth, by their own choice, should find it a far more habitable world. There would be space and resources to experiment in the creation of new modes of living. 8. GETTING STARTED Vigorously resist the temptation to plan out a major detailed program. We don't know how to do that in an optimal “space filling” manner (the fractal meaning). Rather, two commitments seem adequate. /. LEO-Moon Transfer System NASA should establish a system to collect lunar dust and transfer it to low Earth orbit (LEO). The system should deliver more net lunar mass to LEO than the Earth mass taken to LEO to support the operation. Facilities should be made available in LEO for developmental utilization of lunar materials by workers in space and many more operating from Earth. Initial transfer and processing rates the order of one to ten U.S. pennies a second are very likely more than adequate. This approach would give us long-term first portal (rockets or the equivalent) access to the moon and rapidly start developing the second portal (electronic) to LEO, the moon and beyond. 2. Off-Earth Workers A very outward directed program of community development should be started by
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