[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: starship-design: Finances



In a message dated 1/31/02 2:27:16 AM, jakesmiley@netzero.net writes:

>Hello...
>
>
>
>    I'm missing the connection between airplanes and space travel.  What
>
>makes you think that they can be compared correctly?  

Eaither way you go to a port, get in the craft, fly to somewhere within a 
couple hours distence, and get out.  Even the same energy requirements to 
space adn across oceans.


>I think Toxic Roach
>
>pointed out the difference between space travel and flying best when he
>
>said, "people do it [flying] to get where they need/want to go".  You might
>
>have people want to go into space, but I doubt that anyone will ever _need_
>
>to go.

You have 2 types of passengers.  Want to go (tourists) and need to go 
(busness).  You'll have both to space, or their won't be routine flights.




>    Also, airlines have always suffered the repercussions of accidents.
>
>People don't stand in line for an airline that kills its customers.  The
>
>reason you don't usually hear about the airline industry going bust every
>
>time there's an accident is because, typically, only one airline suffers.

Actually virtually no airline ever went out of busness due to a accident.  
Not even massive multi hundred passenger ones.  Only due to incompetence.

Even tourists overlook accidents, if the airline didn't screw up stupidly.







>    Anyway...  I guess I should reconsider my position on the novelty of
>
>spaceflight.  Not because of Las Vegas, no the secret of Las Vegas is greed
>
>and lust.  

No its entertainment.  The bulk of Vegas tourists don't hang out in te xrated 
places, and absolutly know they won't make any money.
Like any other tourist mecha - folks go there to have some fun. From the 
Grand canyon, to Mall or America, to Disneyland.


===
>    I have my doubts about those surveys that say most people want to go.
> I
>
>talk to people about it and their first response is always, "Wow.  That'd
>be
>
>neat."  However, if you keep talking to them you'll discover that they
>don't
>
>even consider it a possibility.  How accurate can these surveys be?  

These inclue ones from tourist industries used to feeling out how real the 
intrest is, especially at various costs per trip.


==
>    C'mon...  It's a war on the other side of the world, where we're bombing
>
>a country forward into the stone-age.  Morally, sure it's a big thing.
> But
>
>from a service provider POV, this shouldn't be such a big deal.

At a billion dollars a month, its a good market.  ;)

Not to mentionj the cost of all that equip used there.



>    I don't understand the ocean liner question.  Are you trying to say
>the
>
>fact that you offer an exclusive service will allow you to survive?

No, liners like space platforms, ae closed issolated "trips".  Especially the 
long ocean ones.




>    Not enough bandwidth?  What are we trying to do?  Play UT on a LAN
>
>system?  ;]  I'm talking about raw data.  No pictures, no sounds, no perks
>
>whatsoever.  

Sorry, no such thing anymore.

What do you think this is going to be used for?


>Distributed computing isn't for the users, it's for data
>
>crunching.

What data?



>
>-JS