This space for rent?

The Starship Century Symposium proceeds apace.  Aspace?  Absolutely fascinating.  More than a hundred space people gathered
Very concentrated work yesterday, more than twelve hours.  Unwound with a glass of wine in the motel bar with a few of the participants.  But only one glass, and then staggered up to bed.  It's hard work, concentrating and taking notes (how'd I ever get through six years of college?)

Twenty-five pages in my 4X6 notebook, after fifteen pages the first day.

Greg Benford made an interesting comment from the audience yesterday.  There are billions of dollars of "junk" in geosynchronous orbit – very high-tech junk – and it belongs to whoever goes up and claims it.  Some American entrepreneur should be hatching plans now.  (No other country yet has integrated public and private sectors in space flight, but that won't last long.)  One thinks of a near-future story redolent of old pirate tales.

 "Avast, Matey – can't get me space helmet on with this dagger between me teeth!"

One of my old MIT students, Peter Diamandis, came up in this regard.  He's one of the founders of H.O.P.E. – Human Outer Planet Exploration.  They want to prospect and claim the most valuable Near-Earth asteroid.  There are about 1700 asteroids that are easier to get to than the Moon, which I didn't know, but it makes sense.  (To use resources from the Moon, of course, you have to go down its gravity well and return; the asteroids are "nearer" in terms of energy.)

Well, I'm somewhat on stage today, a panel of sf writers.  So I'd better do a little research.

Joe