Re: Re: starship-design: YES, we might do it.

[Zenon Kulpa <zkulpa@zmit1.ippt.gov.pl>]

> From: KellySt@aol.com
> 
> In a message dated 10/19/98 8:18:01 AM, zkulpa@zmit1.ippt.gov.pl wrote:
> 
> >> From: KellySt@aol.com
> >> 
> >> Space tourisms ability to leverage costs to LEO orbit down 
> >> to current trans ocean air-freght cost numbers is a big step up 
> >> in accessing and using space.
> >> 
> >I wonder why commsats, GPS, meteoats did not have 
> >any significant impact on lowering costs to LEO significantly?
> 
> They are to few to spawn a large enough market.
> 
I do not have exact numbers, but I thing the number of
lauches was in the thousands range.
Is it still not large enogh?


> >Yes and no. At least Mars Base will bring a lot of data
> >on the conditions there, necessary to design and build
> >further non-governemnt facilities and colonies.
> >Hence, it will lower significantly the initial investment
> >needed for the private exploration of Mars.
> 
> Ah ha. Somehow I don't think we need to spend 100's of billions 
> to figure out ways to save tens of billions.
> 
Hmm, it seems to sound quite right...  ;-(

So, we should either make NASA more efficient (which is next 
to impossible, I am afraid), or dissolve it completely.
Then possible government support for frontier-breaking
enterprises may take the form of "Space Achievement Prizes"
akin to the "Mars Prizes" proposal of Zubrin & Gingrich.
The NASA may then be left only as 
a Space Prizes Administering Office...

I wonder why they seem not to make any measures 
to implement the scheme?

-- Zenon