Opportunity for Joe Public?

With the success of the X Prize and the possibility of significant space
ventures being achieved at costs of tens of millions rather than billions,
Space advocates may at last have the chance to help generate the future as
well as advocating it. As well as donating to the X Prize Foundation and the
Planetary Society's solar sail project , for example, some people might
consider small but serious investments via the Stock Market in emerging
Space SMEs eg SpaceDev or SETC/Falcon1-V ( once they get round to going
public on NASDAQ!) Robert Bigelow is surely a prospect as well?

At this time relatively small sums ( tens of millions rather than the
traditional billions) can leverage big results, I believe, since we are at a
rare but real Window of Opportunity in history. Such at least is my hope.

If Space is to become a true new arena it will need to attract the kind of
large start up funds which stock markets have classically provided but for
now SMEs can do great things

Think East India Company ,18 th century Joint Stock companies etc .Yes,
there will be bubbles - but no risk. no gain?

Maybe the time has come for Space advocates who do dabble in the Stock
Market to think of having 3-5% of their portfolio in small but emerging
space companies??

It would be a good idea if there was an online space-specific source on
available relevant space stocks and how to trade in them - rather like
ethical or Green stocks??Just a thought , although the legal implications
might be tricky? Any takers here?

Who knows , we all might even make money!!

At least we can begin to sink all those tedious people who deride us for
wasting taxpayers' money which should, in conventional PC wisdom, be better
spent on hiring bureaucratic people to regulate/legislate us all into a
very terrestrial straight jacket!.

Michael Martin-Smith,