Hi Bob

Getting stuff into space would be lot cheaper if we had a lot of stuff to get there - and we'd have a lot of stuff up there if it was cheaper to get there...

Maybe. I think you're right as far as getting prices down ten-fold. With current rockets $2500/kg is doable - it's Elon Musk's goal for Falcon 9 etc. and the goal of the revived OTRAG and similar ventures.

Cutting prices by another 10-fold factor needs advanced engineering - either gigantic, simple boosters and/or fast-turn-around RLVs. Alan Bond's SKYLON and the SCRAMjets in development in Oz and the USA could do it given half a chance. But to defray development costs a LOT of cargo has to be launched.

So what do we want en masse in space???

Adam