The latest issue of The Space Review includes a description of the COTS proposal by the Loral and CSI collaboration : How an intermodal COTS system can accelerate commercial servicing in GEO. It focuses on the space tug that would be derived from Loral's 1300 Series satellite platform. Once it is proven for ISS resupply, the tug could then be used for other applications, especially GEO satcom servicing, which should be quite lucrative.

With a 10 year operating life and in-space refueling, the Loral space tug would be a tremendous addition to in-space infrastructure. (The first CSI COTS proposal included the use of the Russian Progress system as a tug but currently it isn't being used as such.) Commercial space development capabilities would then include:
- Suborbital space transport (e.g. SS2)
- Low cost orbital vehicles (e.g. SpaceX)
- Space habitats from Bigelow
- A space tug from Loral

The only major item missing is the orbital fuel depot but the step to one should be short since the tug will provide experience with in-space refueling. With all of those elements in action, we could see a synergy that leads to rapid expansion of space development.

Another space transport related article - Spaceports still taxiing towards takeoff - provides an update from Jeff Foust on several spaceport projects that are aimed at the commercial spaceflight market.

Other articles include a report by Dwayne Day on his close encounter with the space conspiracy community. And Jeff Foust reviews two new Astronautics books.
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The Space Show this week (see schedule) begins today with a discussion with yours truly about the ups and downs for New Space during 2007. Bob Zubrin will be on the program tomorrow, followed by Rob Godwin of Apogee Books, space investment analyst Tom Olson, Fraser Cain of Universe Today, and Dennis Wingo.