Newsgroups: sci.space.policy
From: Henry Spencer <henry@zoo.toronto.edu>
Subject: Re: AAP Potential vs. Shuttle Microgravity research
Date: Sat, 13 Jan 1996 05:47:20 GMT

In article <Pine.A32.3.91j.960111233545.69998A@homer11.u.washington.edu> 'Larry' L Gales <larryg@u.washington.edu> writes:
>> Actually, the main result that has come out of the small (yes, small!)
>> amount of shuttle-based microgravity research is a clear realization that
>> the field is in its infancy and predictions of immediate major commercial 
>> return were badly premature.
>
>I  do recall a recent article in Science that 25 substances (crystals?,
>proteins? -- I forget) had been created in the shuttle which were 
>superior to anything every grown on earth.

The one purpose for which microgravity does seem to already be a winner is
crystallization of proteins for research.  Note, though, that this is not
a "production" application -- in principle, each protein only needs to be
crystallized once -- and it's not worth massive amounts of money either. 
It's useful to researchers, and the more commercial researchers would be 
willing to pay something for it, but it isn't something you can make a
fortune on.
-- 
The Earth is our mother.                           |       Henry Spencer
Our nine months are up...                          |   henry@zoo.toronto.edu