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




In a message dated 10/22/98 8:07:22 AM, zkulpa@zmit1.ippt.gov.pl wrote:

>> 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?

I think its more like hundreds, and that scattered over decades.  A bit to
thin.  Hundreds or thousands per year would be more like it.



>> >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?


NASA is nervious.  If they give up launch services (which they are terrable
at) they lose the bulk of their funds and operations.  But as things are, even
they can't afford themself, and are strangling themself out of busness.

(Only a gov agency can manage this.)


>-- Zenon

Kelly