MORRISTOWN, NJ (Expansionary News Service) May 6, 2010. While the US government seems to be losing interest in space exploration, Japan, China, Brazil, Russia and the European Space Agency are examining various strategies for establishing bases on the Moon, Mars and various mineral-rich near-Earth asteroids.

Or so says Futurist/sociologist Dr.Michael G. Zey, in an article on Examiner.com. Zey claims that these countries see the Moon and other orbs as sources of minerals, some of which are rare on Earth. Many countries are particularly attracted to the Moon's abundant supply of helium-3, a key element in the production of nuclear fusion energy.

For a Moon mission to be successful it is crucial that those engaged in long term lunar mining and exploration missions be housed in safe and dependable habitats. Dr. Zey claims that there are several models for lunar bases under consideration by European Space Agency and other space planning organizations.

Space hotel visionary Robert Bigelow is designing inflatable modules capable of housing up to 18 astronauts. Italian inventor Enrico Dini wants to use an oversized 3D printing machine to construct a Moon habitat!

Dr. Zey finds Dini's vision particularly intriguing. In his forthcoming book on an American economic revival, Zey states that 3D printing is a core technology that could actually resuscitate the American manufacturing base.

"But Dini takes it to the next level," Dr. Zey said from his offices in Morristown, NJ. While most manufacturers are using 3D printing to create smaller objects, like bowls and ashtrays, "Dine want to use this nascent technology to build an enormous lunar habitat!"

Dr. Michael Zey will have more to say about this issue in forthcoming articles on Examiner.com, as well as in his upcoming speech on the American future at the World Future Society.

About Michael G. Zey

Dr. Michael G Zey is the author of "Ageless Nation" (New Horizons/Kensington), "The Future Factor" (Transaction Publishers; McGraw-Hill hard cover), "Seizing the Future: The Dawn of the Macroindustrial Era" (Simon and Schuster, hardcover; Transaction Publishers/ Paperback) and The Mentor Connection.

He consults in the areas of formal mentor programs, future trends, technology development, career issues, and leadership development for Fortune 500 companies and government, including AT&T, Nabisco (all divisions), Kaiser Associates, Warner Lambert, Hoechst-Celanese, United Technologies, the New York State Governor's Office of Employee Relations.

Dr. Michael Zey's controversial and original views on social and techno-trends have appeared in the LA Times, Providence (RI) Journal, Boston Globe, Worth, the Christian Science Monitor,  the Sacramento Bee, The Age (Melbourne, Australia), La Liberation (Paris), Prosper, Flair and Il Sole/24Ore (Italy) The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, ABCnews.com, Radio Free Europe, La Monde, and XMSatellite''s USAToday/Newstalk station, NJ Business, as well as on WABC's "Batchelor and Alexander Show", AT&T's "Tech TV" and "The Bill Cunningham Show", as well as many NPR programs. He has been interviewed for The Wall Street Journal Report, CNBC, CNN, The Turning Point, and the Brazilian Globotv network program "Jornal Nacional". He has been an invited guest on FoxNews, PBS's Nightly Business Report, and ABC's 20/20. His views on human enhancement technologies appear on the website of the Discovery Channel, www.discovery.com.

He is a regular contributor to KNX-AM, the Los-Angeles news affiliate of CBS, and is the National Future Trends analyst at Examiner.com

Michael Zey serves as Executive Director of the Expansionary Institute (www.zey.com), is a Professor at Montclair State University, NJ and consults to corporations and government agencies.

Source: Expansionary News Service, Morristown, NJ.)

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