Why we should proceed with the SFO SEP:

Moral: As the human population increases we put an ever lager strain on the ecology and resources of planet Earth. Eventually we will grow where the planet will no longer support us and possible any life as we know it. To stop or even reverse this trend we can travel one of two paths; stop the increase in population or move out to other planets. Since it is fundamentally against human nature to stop reproducing the only choice remaining is moving beyond Earth. The SFO SEP is the fist step and must be completed before any others can proceed.

Survival: The Dinosaurs were wiped out by the impact of a large asteroid or comet, other extinctions have been caused by impacts of smaller objects with a somewhat periodic frequency. Would the human race survive such an impact and what would the culture be like if it did survive? The only sure way to insure the survival of the human race and it's culture is to have it somewhere else. The human race needs to expand to other planets so that it can not be wiped out by such a natural occurrence. Again the SFO SEP is the first step

Economics: Great wealth lies beyond Earth's gravity well. Raw resources, new manufacturing processes, new materials, science breakthroughs, etc. are all waiting for us. All we have to do is go get them! The first to be able to take advantage of the space environment will profit greatly.

Personal: I, like many other people, would like to experience the space environment before I die. The SFO SEP provides the best possible way for me, and millions of others, to realize this dream.

In the long history of this country government has not been the driver for expansion and colonization, in fact it had the exact opposite effect. Government does not and should not have a mandate to explore and expand. The first government sponsored colonies placed in the New World failed miserably due to poor planning and mismanagement. The Midwest expansion would have happened many years earlier if not for the moratorium put in place by the government. If not for the brave souls, from the fur trappers and traders to the families who moved across hostile territory in covered wagons to an uncertain future, there would be no USA. If the pilgrims had waited for the government to build and finance the expedition to the New World we would all still be living in Europe. If we wait for the government to sponsor expansion and colonization into space we will never be able to view the earth from orbit in person.

It is time for the private citizen and corporations to take the lead. NASA and the Russian Space Agency have done an excellent job in developing technology and methods to reach and survive in space. They have done what they do best, push the envelope and pave the way for others. Now we must humanize space, which is to make it so humans can live and work in a normal environment. A complete plan needs to be put in place that not only addresses getting to space but what to do once we are there.

If not us then who? The need, desire and benefits are pushing us into space. If SFO does not do it someone else will and they will be the ones to profit from it.