The Lessons of Airline Regulation and Deregulation: Will We Make the Same Mistakes in Space

EXPANDING SPACE USE W ITH EACH passing year, man pushes further and further into spacethe "final frontier."What was merely science fiction just decades ago has become reality in many respects, and ideas that used to exist only in the minds of the world's true dreamers are now becoming workable plans on computers and blueprints.The numerous uses man will be able to make of outer space will require new and innovative transportation methods and governance systems.For example, future energy sources may be space-based, requiring frequent traffic between the moon, space, and Earth for building and maintaining the system.' Potential mining opportunities exist on the moon and other planets which may eventually become cost-effective, 2 and production of pharmaceutical and other products in space will give rise to new industries and transportation needs.The space ' 300 Billion Watts, 24 Hours a Day, AIR & SPACE/SMITHSONIAN, June-July 1990, at 68, 70-75.The vast array of minerals on the moon and other planets offer a possibility of great value to those who would be able to mine the ore and transport it back to Earth.Obviously, at this point in time, the costs of conducting such an operation greatly outweigh the benefits.As space transportation and technology expand, however, the costs inherent in mining and transporting the material will fall, perhaps to the point where the benefits outweigh the costs.A number of experiments on the development of pharmaceuticals have been made on Space Shuttle missions.Indications are that the gravity-free, ultra-clean environment of space will allow the manufacture of many higher-quality products.