To all

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Congress is "debating" energy policy right now. We have a
presidential campaign going on where energy policy and global warming
are being discussed (at least on the Democratic side - Gephardt even
calls for an "Apollo 21" project for energy independence). The X Prize
is featured in this week's Newsweek - see
http://www.msnbc.com/news/972359.asp - and there's a real expectation
somebody will win it and bring a lot of attention to space development
within the next 12 months; possibly by the end of 2003. As Jimmy Higgins
posted below, this isn't just an energy policy or environmental
question, it relates to the security and safety of the world, and any
technological and industrial vitality a major space project like this
brings, can only be additional benefit to the nations that carry it out.

That's why I think the next few months are a critical time for our
message. If we can get funding for space development and space solar
power into the energy, environmental, security and economic policy
discussion leading to the 2004 US elections, we have the potential to
change the course of history. But we NEED to get that message out
there, or it won't happen.

Members of this community have done a lot to further the message.
Ralph Nansen's book and congressional testimony is an inspiration. David
Criswell got a lot of publicity and increased credibility for these
ideas through the "Industrial Physicist" article last year; Marty
Hoffert and co-authors in their "Science" article did the same. I know
many of you are writing and talking to people, trying to make a
difference. I've been talking with folks like the UCS and the renewable
energy community, and feel like I've won over a few heads, at least
partially. I've also been following the tone of discussions of space
projects and energy-related projects on techie news sites like
"slashdot" - to me it seems like we're making progress and are mostly
beyond the "laughing" phase at least with a segment of the technically
aware audience, though they still have a lot of misconceptions about how
SSP could work.

Until we can start demonstrating real hardware and results somewhere
(in fact, even beyond that point), I think we need more comprehensive
articles that put the problem and potential in context; something like
last year's "Science" article but for a more general audience, and
better publicity of those and what we already have. Can we offer to
write a substantial part of a space (and energy, security, environment,
technology) policy document for one of the presidential candidates? What
other resources do we as a group have to bring on board here, to help
make it happen? Any "think tanks" and similar resources we can get to
work with us? I plan to start one article/policy statement of this sort
over the next few weeks; the more of us who can do this of course, the
better!

One question has to be exactly what role the government should play
here. There are clear technology areas identified by John Mankins' group
and the 2001 NRC report that can use funding; demonstration projects
both on the ground and in space - let me know what you think the highest
priorities there are. Perhaps more important though, is elevating the
importance of the call for low-cost access to space, and figuring out
how to make that happen.

I think we can make a difference, but we need to communicate our
ideas out there, or we won't!

Arthur Smith
apsmith@...

Jimmy Higgins wrote:

>Yes I do have a suggestion...
>
>Let's make it a national priority tied to terrorism
>and watch how the Fed feels about it..
>
>Anybody know of any Japanese big leaguers working on
>it and who are frustrated with their non-progress?
>
>Jimmy Higgins
>
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