Low earth orbit might be where the investors are interested in. If so, it has been proposed for decades that an electric mass driver be constructed on the Moon for delivery of lunar ores to Earth orbit - or to a nearby Lagrange point.
A lunar base would be very expensive in terms of initial construction because it costs so much to climb from the Earth's surface through the Earth's gravity well, and then to descend safely on to the Moon's surface.
An interesting solution that I've followed has been the proposal to send tiny self-replicating robots to the Moon and have them construct everything else from Lunar materials. See for example: http://www.islandone.org/MMSG/aasm/
This good idea was most recently promoted by Newt Gingrich during his US presidential primary campaign. My own opinion is that private investment, not government money, should be used for space-based economic projects.
A lunar base would be very expensive in terms of initial construction because it costs so much to climb from the Earth's surface through the Earth's gravity well, and then to descend safely on to the Moon's surface.
An interesting solution that I've followed has been the proposal to send tiny self-replicating robots to the Moon and have them construct everything else from Lunar materials. See for example: http://www.islandone.org/MMSG/aasm/
This good idea was most recently promoted by Newt Gingrich during his US presidential primary campaign. My own opinion is that private investment, not government money, should be used for space-based economic projects.