I am impressed by the fact that President Roosevelt assembled the brightest scientists in America to the White House to help him envisage the things he might have to adjust (to) in the future. 'I want you to tell me what to expect,' he begged, and after three days of intense speculation these men, whose job it was to anticipate the future and who commanded more keys to the future than any other group, failed to predict atomic power, radar, rockets, jet aircraft, computers, xerography and penicillin, all of which were to burst upon the world within the next years. They knew about exploratory research, of course, but they could not believe it would produce functional products so soon. I assure you that if tonight you assembled an equal group of our most learned men, they would not anticipate the simple wonders which will engulf us by the year 2000. James Michener, Space (2) An impressive number of companies are already at work or are contemplating business in space. These companies are utilizing the Space Transportation System to develop new business in space. Some of the firms involved in the commercial use of space include: • DuPont (TEA) — Research on Catalytic Materials (low G) • Honeywell (TEA) — Research on Crystal Growth • John Deere (TEA) — Research on Graphite Formation • 3M Company (MOU) — Research on thin films and organic crystals • McDonnell Douglas/Johnson and Johnson (JEA) — Production of Pharmaceuticals in Space • Orbital Sciences Corporation (MOU) (Martin Marietta, United Technologies) — Transfer Orbit Stage (TOS) — Apogee Maneuvering Stage (AMS) • Fairchild (JEA) — Unmanned Space Platform for Lease • Space Industries, Inc. (MOU, JEA Proposed) — Man-Tended Space Platform for Lease Discussions are being held with about 20 other firms. We may soon see the first products manufactured in space on the commercial market. These products would be for an existing market place. NASA and the U.S. National Bureau of Standards are working on a plan to produce incredibly tiny and perfect spheres of latex plastic which are exactly equal in size. The spheres are manufactured aboard the Shuttle with a NASA-developed device called the monodisperse latex reactor. They will be extremely useful to calibrate optical devices or biological and chemical laboratory filters. In fact, NBS has recently sold two lots: one for a million and a quarter ($1,250,000) and the second for three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000). As Michener stated, the great and learned men simply could not believe that functional products could be developed so soon. And as people in business well know, the true test is in the “marketplace.” Time does not permit me to mention all of the participants. Nor does it allow time to describe their activities. Many of those involved in the commercial use of space are here at this conference and I hope each of you have a chance to attend the
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