To LEO and Beyond

First off, what is LEO? LEO is the designation for Low Earth Orbit. Low Earth Orbit is where a great deal of new age communications satellites are launched to as well as military satellites, space stations, and the realm of transport of the Space Shuttle. In terms of altitude it reaches from 100 km to about 1,000 km. Because LEO is relatively close to the earth, only about 60 to 600 miles up, objects in orbit deemed satellites are traveling extremely fast to stay in orbit (18,000 miles per hour (29,000 km/h)). At these speeds a small bolt or rock has the same amount of energy as a grenade. It is in our best interest to know where these objects are an to be able to avoid them as necessary. Fortunately, the United States Space Command monitors these objects and provides the data for collision avoidance.

What is possible in LEO? LEO is the starting point for human activity in space.

Currently only direct use of the visage of space has been the primary mainstay of the space activity this  includes: remote sensing, communication relay, and astronomy.

To date only one functional space station is in existence with limited orbital research capabilities. This is not human activity in space, its a handful of personnel from a limited representation of the Earth's populace. In the past humans have ventured to our nearest neighbor the Moon to sample the soil and examine it for hints of life, clues to its and our own origins, and determine its feasibility as a second home; however, we have not returned for 30 years. 

The question is: how can we get to back to stage of human activity that existed 30 years ago and to the point where any middle class citizen of the developed world could afford to travel to or through space. One way is to develop a low cost transit system to fuel the desire for additional orbital facility construction whereby the populace could work, be entertained, tour, sleep, eat, and do everything that a human would want to do. But this is a technological challenge that has yet to be met by any existing passenger carrying vehicle.

Starting with TGS Kitten, Cerulean Freight Forwarding Company intends to offer flights to 200 kilometers (120 miles) above the Earth's surface. These flights would fulfill the requirements of the XPRIZE Foundation's $10 million contest as well as fuel a tourism trade, a new means to transport people, and a revolution in commercial activities in space.

What kind of commercial activities are possible in space with a low cost vehicle built by someone like CFFC? 

Active orbital research is perhaps a key to developing a room temperature superconductor which is considered to be the missing component for fusion reactors, flying cars, and numerous other fantastic inventions yet to come. But on the short term, orbital research has its roots in medicine and computers. Anything from crystalline pharmaceuticals to gene therapy will be researched in orbit. Perfect crystals have the potential to be grown with the ability to fit exactly with bacteria and viruses on the Earth. Further, using similar techniques silicon semiconductors can dramatically improve in efficiency and space if produced in a perfect vacuum that only outer space can provide. Then there are numerous potential advantages in arthritis and geriatric treatments and the sky is no longer the limit for innovations using the zero gee or alterable nature of gravity using a centrifuge in space.

Space tourism is another featured space prospect industry estimated worth at $10 billion USD. Space tourists are granted the unique experience to take a look at the Earth from an altitude of 100 miles and perhaps even orbit the Earth in a period of 90 minutes. To reserve your flight today, click on the bar on the left "reserve flight."

Heavy orbital industries are also possible including: materials processing and fabrication of raw materials from asteroids and comets. Such heavy industries increase humanity's versatility in space by increasing infrastructure. Space infrastructure is key to detection and avoidance of asteroid and comet collisions featured in movies such as Armageddon and Deep Impact. Only hours, days, and weeks the are the detection periods of Near Earth Objects (NEO) and eventually the day will come where one NEO is headed on a collision course with the Earth...only this rock is the size of the Empire State Building and this rock will have a destructive force far more powerful than a grenade and far more powerful than any weapon in Earth's arsenal. Without a space vehicle with a short turnaround time, ability to be refueled on orbit, and an crew competent in space resourcing, civilization as we know it may cease to exist.

But on the brighter side of things, think about energy -- Solar Energy.  In space perhaps among the largest industries literally will be solar power satellite systems (SPS). Solar power in LEO is 6 times more efficient than on Earth. In addition to that it can be beamed by radio wave simultaneously to facilities all over the world  perhaps meeting 30% or more of the world's power needs. Using space materials, outer space gained technology to enhance solar cells, outer space's shear open volume, and space built solar concentrators SPS may be the answer to aiding increasing energy demands at minute environmental impact.

And this is only the beginning.... we can venture out into the solar system and help ensure the survival of the human race and gain further knowledge of our origins. And in space there are infinite possibilities... because the Sky is No Longer the Limit.

Cerulean Freight Forwarding Company - The Sky is No Longer the Limit.