Question Recent S/F novels about commercial space flight?

[RGClark]

In this post to rec.arts.sf.science, I asked about old-time stories of millionaires building their own space ships:

Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.science, rec.arts.sf.written
From: Robert Clark <[email protected]>
Date: Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:18:09 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Old time stories about the millionaire rocket developer?
http://groups.google.com/group/rec....hread/3b72e4cda04fce38/329993ecb0faeb26?hl=en

I'm still interested in that topic but also what are some recommendations about recent stories of commercially, not governmentally, financed space flight? Such stories might be about space tourism, private endeavors to produce solar power satellites, lunar or asteroidal mining, etc.
Both suborbital and orbital commercial manned spaceflight are imminent so it would be interesting to read stories with that as their theme:

Private Space Race On to Launch US Astronauts for NASA.
by Mike Wall, SPACE.com Senior Writer
Date: 30 September 2011 Time: 07:00 AM ET

NASA's next crew-carrying rocket, the heavy-lift Space Launch System, will blast off on its first test flight in 2017 at the earliest, agency officials have said. But a handful of private companies say they're on schedule to begin lofting astronauts by 2015 — or perhaps even earlier.
"We believe we'll be ready in three years," said Gwynne Shotwell, president of SpaceExploration Technologies Corporation (also known as SpaceX).

http://www.space.com/13134-private-space-race-nasa-astronauts-2015.html

Private space launches should see boost this year.
Flurry of liftoffs expected this year, aviation regulator says.
6:50 AM, Mar. 21, 2012

WASHINGTON — A top federal official predicts as many as a dozen privately funded flights could be launched into orbit and sub-orbit over the next several months as the fledgling commercial space industry ramps up its schedule.

http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20120321/SPACE/303210003?nclick_check=1

U.S. Space Tourism Set for Takeoff by 2014: FAA.
Mar 20, 2012
By Irene Klotz/Reuters
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.
http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/gene...s/awx/2012/03/20/awx_03_20_2012_p0-438438.xml


Here is a list of book reviews by Ken Murphy, some of fiction some of non-fiction, that includes some books with this theme:

Book Reviews - Out of the Cradle.
http://www.outofthecradle.net/categories/books/


Bob Clark

 

[Suzy]

•Orbit: A Novel by John C. Nance (2006)
•Tango Midnight by Michael Cassutt (2003)

 

[RGClark]

•Orbit: A Novel by John C. Nance (2006)
•Tango Midnight by Michael Cassutt (2003)

Thanks for those refs.


Bob Clark

 

[RGClark]

On sci.space.policy someone mentioned Michael Flynn's "Firestar". I was looking for examples such as this in the near future since my view is private, commercial spaceflight is imminent. It will be very important then to understand the national security implications of this, but discussion on this aspect of routine spaceflight has been virtually nil.

The wikipedia page on Michael Flynn mentions another example, Victor Koman's "Kings of the High Frontier". These two examples are actually right up my alley since they involve single stage to orbit vehicles, which I believe are key to making spaceflight routine.


Bob Clark

 

[Scattykat]

Hi Bob,

Though not a book, you might be interested in watching the film Astronaut Farmer (2006). It covers some of the issues you mentioned.

Here is a link to the trailer: http://youtu.be/390WaPcxnFI

 

[RGClark]

Hi Bob,

Though not a book, you might be interested in watching the film Astronaut Farmer (2006). It covers some of the issues you mentioned.

Here is a link to the trailer: http://youtu.be/390WaPcxnFI

Thanks for that. I had seen the film. Oddly, enough I think it is possible for a small band of people to create such a manned orbital rocket.
The experience of Armadillo Aerospace and Masten Space Systems shows you can have a small group of amateurs create a suborbital rocket. In order to get orbital what you need are more efficient engines.
Creating those on your own would be a non-trivial matter, but there are some smaller russian engines not currently being used that you could probably purchase at fire sale prices.

Bob Clark

---------- Post added at 11:49 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:45 AM ----------

The Diamandis et.al. proposal for asteroid mining is apparently
to bring small asteroids or small parts of asteroids to Earth's
vicinity for processing to save on costs.

A science-fiction film from 1969 also expressed the idea that
asteroid mining could only be profitable by bringing the asteroid to
the vicinity of the Earth, so I suppose this is a view that has long
been expressed. The film was "Moon Zero Two":

Moon Zero Two.

Bob Clark

---------- Post added at 12:35 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:49 AM ----------

The Diamandis et.al. proposal for asteroid mining is apparently
to bring small asteroids or small parts of asteroids to Earth's
vicinity for processing to save on costs.

Correction. Just read this article and the Diamandis et.al. plan is to mine and process the asteroids there and only bring back the valuable minerals:

Robot Swarms to Swing a Pickax for Asteroid Mining Venture
Jeremy Hsu, InnovationNewsDaily Senior Writer
24 April 2012 05:19 PM ET

Robot mining challenges
There are two ways to go about mining asteroids — mine whatever resources you want on the spot or haul the space rock back to Earth. Mining on the spot requires smart robots capable of doing the job or riskier human mining operations far from home. Bringing the asteroid back to Earth makes mining easier, but at a higher cost. [Asteroid Mining Is Possible for $2.6 Billion, Study Says]
Planetary Resources plans to do whatever mining it needs to do on the spot, said John Lewis, a professor emeritus at the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory of the University of Arizona. He joined with Planetary Resources as an adviser and perhaps the most recognized asteroid mining guru among planetary scientists.
"You can devise schemes for turning almost the entire mass of asteroids into usable products, but this is not at all what we expect to be doing in the first few years of project," Lewis told InnovationnewsDaily. "We're retrieving materials with a demonstrated value on the market, so we're only bringing back a tiny fraction of the asteroid."

http://www.innovationnewsdaily.com/1083-robot-swarms-asteroid-mining.html

Apparently, the example spoken of to bring back a small asteroid is only to do tests.

Bob Clark