Technologically, we're not even close to making commercial applications of space other than what we're already doing. If you're going to be bitter about wasted time, you're on the wrong subject. My prediction: our first Lunar and Martian colonies will suffer the same fate as the Viking explorers in North America, the Jamestown and Roanoke settlements, etc. Why? We're just not ready for it yet.
The technology exists today to move into space and establish permanent habitats which are superior to what earth has to offer in terms of safety and comfort. I want to live in space, permanently. I am not some tourist or somebody looking to bring something valuable back to earth and live out the rest of my years as a wealthy man. The problem is that as yet there is no BEO manufacturing bases. This should gradually change once resource mapping on the moon has begun to take place. Perhaps not many on this forum are aware of the reasons for recent interest in the south pole of the moon? Allow me to inform you.
The South Pole–Aitken basin is a crater created by a highly metallic body crashing into the moon when it was still a semi-molten ball of rock. This asteroid remained intact, and lies there still today deep beneath the crust of the moon. It is highly metallic. An excellent source of metal for building large structures in space. Not only that but there are many deep craters which contain water ice as the sun never reaches the bottom of these craters.
We have the technology to get there. We have the technology to survive there. We have the technology to mine there. We have the technology to develop industry there. What we lack is a reason to do so. For now. This will change and "soon".
So as you can see the only hurdles to utilisation of space resources is will and finances.
As for a moon base remaining unoccupied I guarantee you this will not occur. Once it is built it will be manned permanently. For reasons of national security. Guaranteed. It's the primary reason interest has kicked off again. One of the few positives to come from the fascist fear-mongering that occurs routinely in the USA.
Now in Australia the price of a family home is $500,000 AUD or thereabouts. Say you wanted to create a habitat for 10,000 families. That's a gross sum of $5,000,000,000 AUD (5 Billion). Is this enough? Probably not. However it is a good chunk of the way toward getting one of these things built. Further income can be derived from developing advanced manufacturing processes which require zero g and/or the absence of a magnetic field. Think of things like advanced magnets, metallic foams and growing advanced crystals. None of which can be developed prior to moving beyond earth orbit.
There is huge demand for access to telescope time. I can only imagine what kinds of telescopes could be built on the moon without even needing a largescale orbital habitat.
So I feel a little like I am beginning to ramble because I need something more specific to argue against. There are opportunities for commercial utilisation of resources BEO. I never even started on the inevitable martian gold rush (something that will not occur on the moon).
What exactly is it about our species moving BEO that has so many people so skeptical
particularly those above a certain age?
Laying flat.