The customary prospectus for the Moon is that it will be a major, or the major, supplier of liquid oxygen to low Earth orbit depots and of raw ores to L5 colonies or Space Settlements where it will be turned into metal alloy components of more space colonies and solar power satellites, the slag left over being used for shielding. Really, this depends on where people actually choose to live, how big the lunar settlement becomes, and whether it chooses to deliver low value raw materials or higher price value-added processed materials and / or finished goods. The assumption that the great bulk of manufacturing will be done at L5 rather than on the Moon on the grounds that humans cannot tolerate 1/6th G for long is an untested, unproven, unwarranted, and gratuitous opinion. There is enough room, enough of a market, and enough volunteers for both kinds of settlements. The rivalry between L5 colonies and the Moon will be both healthy and productive.

LUNOX Corporation, selling liquid oxygen to the various low Earth orbit (LEO) space stations and staging depots, probably in exchange for equal volumes of liquid hydrogen ( nitrogen, ammonia, methane will also be needed ) may well be the Moon’s first employer. But current writing shows lack of imagination. Raw materials from the Moon can be processed into many things that can be sold and delivered to LEO at great cost advantage, e.g. modules and trusses of the space station itself, windows and glassware, ceramic table ware, fiberglass insulation and fabrics, tools and instruments, some furniture items, and so on. And all of these items will find a market in GEO ( Earth synchronous orbit ) and L5 as well. LUNOX will supply oxygen not only as fuel oxidizer but as the major component of water and the breathable component of air. Even food items grown on the Moon with upported hydrogen, carbon, and nitrogen are still about 50% lunar oxygen and can be delivered to LEO, GEO, and L5 more cheaply from the Moon than from the Earth.

Even the heavy parts of satellites might better be made on the Moon to be mated with the lighter “works” in an LEO or L1 station. The hulls for ships to take men to Mars might better be made on the Moon, and on and on and on. The day may come when competition from the Moon restricts Earth-bound aerospace giants to producing high value light weight components that require materials that are not abundant on the Moon, e.g. copper, gold, platinum, silver, tin, niobium, hydrocarbon plastics, etc.

Yes, the markets are there, and the Moon can pay its way!