Printing Our Way Across The Solar System
Bootstrapping a Solar System Civilization, OSTP
“There’s interest outside government as well, with various private companies that see a potential business in mining of asteroids and celestial objects for use in space. Recently, I caught up Dr. Phillip Metzger, a former research physicist at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center who has recently joined the faculty of the University of Central Florida, to discuss the longer term goal of “bootstrapping a solar system civilization.”
It’s pretty good stuff if they can get printers to work in space and print a wide variety of components. Everything that reduces the amount you have to launch up from Earth is good.
I believe it is older than that.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wik…
If you would like to see the journal article that is referenced near the top of the interview, it can be downloaded here:
http://www.philipmetzger.co…
I added a link to your article.
Im I wrong to say Stephen Baxter first used the term Bootstrapping with regards to space enterprise in his Phase Space series of novels?
Heinlein has this one, but damn if I remember where!
“By His Bootstraps”, 1941
Now if NASA could just get its hands on some of those Treasury Department printers. 😉