Re: Space Exploitation

From: Joann Evans (bondage_at_frontiernet.net)
Date: 06/04/04 

Date: Fri, 04 Jun 2004 01:00:01 GMT

quibbler wrote:
 
> > I know there is the telecommunication industry but it
> > seems that it would be rather limited.
>
> Yeah, if anything telecommunication satellites will probably be phased
> out as the role is taken over by high altitude balloons and fiber
> optics.

   Why baloons, which can only serve smaller areas, are subject to
weather and bouyancy issues, (and therefore cannot be stationary, or in
bery predictable lower orbits) will require more frequent replacement,
cannot count on solar power much of the time, cannot carry big solar
arrays or antennas, etc.?

   And fiber optics require some fairly large up-front costs, espically
in that so-called 'last mile' between switching offices and users. Great
for trunk lines, but, like most utilities, hard to get into sparsely
inhabited areas.

   And are useless for mobile services, like broadcasting, or
aeronautical/maritime voice/data communications. 

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