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Originally Posted by Damburger
Space is never going to be significantly explored by people whose thought processes always end in dollar signs. Our best space ventures have been motivated by higher concepts than material gain.
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Exploration has always been about material gain. Better hunting, better climate for agriculture, better plunder of primitive societies, and a desire for more efficient trade routes. You don't mount up and travel thousands of miles for a few rocks and some untwinkling stars unless someone's willing to foot the bill. And that someone is likely the kind of person looking for further gain for their effort.
There's nothing wrong with this philosophy, the exploitation of new resources isn't inherently selfish or evil. The irresponsible management of resource exploitation is selfish and in some cases outright evil, but that's a matter of societal ethics than nobility of purpose.
I'll venture my own opinion on what breakthrough is going to be needed to make a space economy work, and that's people who are willing to go up and stay there, along with the technology to support them. Whether its Progress style replenishment missions in exchange for local resources returned to Earth or a self-sustainable on site life support system (not likely for a while), the real boot to the butt that's going to push the whole thing off is a large enough mission that puts people out there that want to live there.
Even 1500 years ago, the European explorers of the western hemisphere understood that the best way to make use of the resources in the Americas was to put people there to stay on site year round, sending materials home. Putting a colony over in the Americas was a risky venture, and hideously expensive, but the long term returns on that investment made the risk worth the effort.
Resource recovery on the Moon will be no different. The bar is substantially higher, but the rewards are no less worth the investment. We're eventually going to need to put a Jamestown up there, and we're going to have to accept the reality that we'll likely also put a Roanoake or two up there while we're trying to conquer this new world. On the upshot, at least there are no native populations to be abused.