Re: RE: starship-design: Fwd: space study

[KellySt@aol.com]

In a message dated 11/2/98 8:19:22 AM, lparker@gnt.net wrote:

>> In a message dated 10/30/98 2:27:48 PM, KELLY_STARKS@udlp.com wrote:
>
>>
>
>> >Lee,
>
>> >I read the space study, and the only thing that follows your statement of
>
>> "space
>
>> >resource mining becomes practical at $100 a pound to LEO" is the
>
>> He3 mining
>
>> >section.  I.E. lunar He3 could be cost competative to current electric
>
>> >productino fuels at about $100 launch costs.  (Of course that assumes you
>
>> have
>
>> >a
>
>> >He3 burning reactor.)
>
>> >
>
>> >Is that what you were refering to?
>
>> >
>
>> >Kelly
>
>
>
>Partly. There are sections there for almost any kind of commerce in space
>
>conceivable. Most of them come back to a figure of $100/lb to orbit (or
>
>less). Currently, the best we can even HOPE for with launchers under
>
>development is $1,000/lb, which is still a lot better than what we currently
>
>have. There were one or two that have much higher break points such as the
>
>communications industry, etc., but these can all be serviced easily with the
>
>current generation of small launchers. Some of them are even going up on
>
>salvaged ICBMs!
>
>
>
>One of the reasons why the DC-X was so attractive was that it stood the best
>
>chance of reaching extremely low payload to orbit prices. As I am sure you
>
>appreciate, much of the cost of any orbital launch is in the ground based
>
>infrastructure required to make it happen. DC-X did not require any of that
>
>infrastructure. In fact, it could have been used as a lander on your
>
>Explorer with no modifications. It was quite capable of orbit to surface and
>
>return operations, something the shuttle derivatives will never do.
>
>
>
>Lee

Actually a DC-X like craft could do costs to orbit bellow $200 apound given
some fairly good cercomstances.  A very large scale market and a few upgrades
could drop it well below $100 a pound.  (I had some frends on the DC-X
program.)  More recent Air-turbo-ram-rockets (combined cycle) engine
prototypes could drop costs (in said major market) down to a couple times air
frieght costs.  

However He3 mining and the rest listed couldn't provide enough market.
Surface to surface earth transport could (and was mentioned in passing in the
report) but even with that, none of the space resource markets seemed more
then iffy.  (Thou they could drop costs to orbit down to $15-$40 a pound.)

Kelly