[extropy-chat] SPACE: The next race: America's space Prize

[Mike Lorrey]

--- Adrian Tymes <wingcat at pacbell.net> wrote:

> --- Kevin Freels <cmcmortgage at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> > $50 million and a possible $1 billion in contracts
> > to the winner!
> >
>
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=96&ncid=753&e=10&u=/space/20041108/sc_space/exclusiverulessetfor50millionamericasspaceprize
> 
> Yeah, but look at the deadline.  A number of people
> (myself included) have been advocating that the 2010
> goal should be something short of orbit - say, a
> suborbital but significant distance point-to-point
> hop, like L.A. to Tokyo, or at least Mojave to Maine.
> Else one runs a severe risk that no one will show up
> for the challenge in time.  (Especially with the
> added,
> though relatively minor, complication of docking
> capability.)

An LA to Tokyo hop is of such significance (you need to reach at least
mach 16 to do it ballistically) that if you can reach that its not much
tougher to go into orbit. Bigelow's market isn't in Tokyo, its market
is in orbit. Bigelow doesn't, therefore, have an interest in getting to
Tokyo, unless you can prove it will get rich customers to his launch
site quicker to get them into orbit for his space hotel.


=====
Mike Lorrey
Vice-Chair, 2nd District, Libertarian Party of NH
"Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom.
It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves."
                                      -William Pitt (1759-1806) 
Blog: http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=Sadomikeyism


		
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