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Re: starship-design: Infrastructure in space [was: FTL travel...]




In a message dated 4/21/00 10:58:38 AM, bfranchuk@jetnet.ab.ca writes:

>Curtis Manges wrote:
>
>> This is all going to be tricky, I think. The commercial/industrial-scale
>> infrastructure will be needed to establish and maintain settlement and
>> profitability, but nobody will want to pay for it all up front, and I
>don't see > > how
>> it could become profitable until it's established -- a catch-22 of sorts.
>But once
>> it is established, there will be a market shift; first profits will go
>dirtside to
>> pay the investment, but then the settlement will become its own internal
>market,
>> like a new country, and these profit exchanges will overlap somewhat.
>
>Until we get the transportation infrastructure in place none of this
>can happen. In some cases the structure is easy to set up, like rail
>roads. In the 1800's railroads use coal,and steel. more railroads
>more coal and steel you need, to make more coal and steel you use
>more trains requiring more umm coal and steel.
>
>It seems like everybody is develping new rocket motors, but nobody is
>using them.
>Lets pick a design and get it to work, if Mr Ford waited for the best
>car
>design we all would still be walking.
>
>Get it to work, then refine it.

The difference is that Ford had a market eager to buy cars.  Lots of 
proposals for low cost lanuchers ae collecting dust for wany of buyers.


>Ben.

Kelly