Comment Investment in our Future (Score 1) 153
The amount of solar energy that passes closer to us than the Moon is equal to the whole world's fossil fuel reserves every minute. That's not just energy independence, that's a superabundance of clean energy, as long as the Sun lasts. I think that is worth a small amount of R&D funding. Tapping that energy is easier if you can use equipment made locally in space, rather than hauling it all up from Earth. We have no production capability in space at the moment. If we can reach the "bootstrap point", where equipment in place can make more equipment, then we can realize whatever goals we set. The taxpayer's investment will be paid back many times over from higher economic activity.