External Links for Space Colonies

Some Q&A on various aspects of a space colony. If anyone has any other answers please get in touch!

1.    External links

1.1. Manufacturing and Exports

1.1.1.  What products might the colonies be able to produce and export other than Solar Power Stations? What products would benefit from production in weightlessness / low gravity / vacuum?
A: Construction of other space craft. Crystals also for use in X-Ray crystallography.

1.2. Imports

1.2.1.  What materials, products and equipment would need to be imported from Earth?
A: Animals and plants for food. Air to breathe and water to drink.  

1.2.2.  Where would the colonies obtain the hydrocarbons required to manufacture the plastics that they will need? What would be the effect of the supply of plastics being restricted? What equivalents or substitutes can be man-made?
A: The use of plants or carbonaceous asteroids to produce plastics?

1.3. AM: Are new space companies such as Deep Space Industries and Planetary Resources interested in working towards the concept of Space Colonies? If not are they interested in the ideas involved?
A. Deep Space do feature space colonies towards the end of their introductory video, as if they were the ultimate goal of their activities.  Planetary Resources do not seem to mention it directly and emphasize the use of asteroid resources rather than lunar ones.  Would it be helpful to become part of their activities in some way?

 Are there any existing companies that would be interested in working towards the construction of an initial Space Colony? Does one need to be created?
A: Deep Space Industries have the construction of space colonies as part of their plan, at least in the sense of something they aim to facilitate.