Or wanted to...

On June 24, 2005, space-related industry leaders invited non-space industry executives to a dialogue exploring how lunar commerce could help achieve the economic growth foreseen by the national Vision for Space Exploration...

To keep the event small and informal enough for genuine dialogue to begin, the invitation-only executive roundtable was held to under 100 participants and was closed to the press.

The agenda was comprehensive...Industry sponsors included five established space industry contractors (The Boeing Company, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Honeywell International, Northrop Grumman Corporation, and the Raytheon Company), one entrepreneurial space company (Transformational Space Corporation – “tSpace”), and one company outside the traditional space sector (Bechtel Corporation).

To emphasize the necessity of involving the business community outside the traditional space sector, the event was hosted by The Maguire Energy Institute, affiliated with the Cox Business School of Southern Methodist University...the Texas Governor’s Office also participated.

Recognizing that deployment of satellites in Earth orbit has already created a multi-billion dollar telecommunications industry, roundtable participants learned that extending economic activity somewhat further into space might enable even greater economic growth. The spectacularly successful Apollo program clearly demonstrated both that the Moon is accessible and that lunar materials have potential commercial uses.

Subsequent technical advances...have made development of this nearby “eighth continent” even more practical today. Potential commercial markets include energy, transportation, mining, construction, manufacturing, entertainment, advertising, branding, and sponsorship...

Branding and sponsorship. How far we've come. Me, I’m happy as a clam just reading about this stuff. "Eighth Continent" has kind of a ring to it, don't you think?

It makes me feel optimistic, somewhat. Plus, they have the customary cool art work.

And you have to love these presentation titles…

Space Communications Infrastructure

Centennial Challenges MoonROx Challenge

Commercial Opportunities Involving Lunar Resource Development

Propellant Market Potential

Lunar Exploration, Development and the Challenge of Space Solar Power

Lunar Resource Utilization

Maybe it's not poetry, but it's music to my ears.

I’m not sure if today’s wave of private sector space entrepreneurs is the third or the forth. Whatever. Each wave gets us a little closer to the goal. Let the third time be the charm.

We’re going to need the private sector. Just consider what NASA wants to waste your money on these days.

Silly looking, toxic, shuttle-derived abominations. Here’s a critical perspective.

The next major issue I have with The Stick is the bait-and-switch that appears to be going on. In making their claim that The Stick would be Simple and Soon, ATK made their original case using a standard, 4-segment SRM like what is used on the Shuttle, with no real modifications, and then stack a modern version of the S1C stage on top of it. Supposedly that means that almost everything is right off-the-shelf, and would be quick and easy to put together. The problem is that in NASA's attempts to grow the CEV big enough to justify the solution they want to push, they've outgrown the capacity of that setup. Now they're talking about a 5-segment SRM with an SSME driven upper stage. I think I've even heard from someone that the SSME used would have a nozzle extension. While the 5-segment SRM has been ground fired I think, it hasn't to my knowledge been ever flown on the shuttle. I could be wrong on that, but I don't know. I also don't know if the SSME has ever been tested with a nozzle extension like that. Not to mention that throwing away an SSME with every crew launch is likely to get spendy.

And here’s a man with a better idea…

It would have been called Sea Dragon.