Futurology

I love your enthusiasm and hope.

I too wish we could develop orbital manufacturing systems. I think the problem with the ISS is just that it's way too old in terms of electronic hardware. I can't imagine what kinds of computers are running the station given that it was built during the time that we were still working with 32 bit computers by and large.

Ironically enough China is the closest to being able to do orbital manufacturing. They have their own space station (we don't like to talk about it in the Anglo-sphere) that they built entirely on their own that's more modern than the ISS. They launch more rockets than we do and have more concrete plans for Lunar colonization than most of the Western powers. I really wish we would take this seriously and re-enter a new age of the space race. China is kicking our asses up and down low earth orbit.