Humans have been doing business in orbit since the early 1960s, with "business" loosely defined in this context as any useful activity. Trained specialists, within the safety of small orbiting spacecraft, studied the Earth below and the heavens above. They conducted medical tests to see how their bodies responded to weightlessness. They did experiments on various materials to see how the lack of gravity affected their interactions. They studied the growth and behavior of plants and small animals. This early orbital activity would become the seed of today's space stations, which in turn may lead to tomorrow's space business parks.

Precursors to Space-Based Business Parks

For serious work, more spacious, dedicated orbiting laboratories were needed. The Soviets launched a series of Salyut stations beginning in 1971.

Astronaut Charles "Pete" Conrad Jr. completes an experiment activity check-list during training for a Skylab mission. Space business parks may in-clude...