The Sea Dragon - 1.2 million pounds to LEO (was By-Pass the Moon?)

> From: hitssquad
> Sent: 22 October 2008 00:08
> To: spacesettlers@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [spacesettlers] The Sea Dragon - 1.2 million pounds
> to LEO (was
> By-Pass the Moon?)
>
> --- In spacesettlers 10459, ANTIcarrot wrote:
> > Pretty much the best thing the next president could do
> > is ... put up a ten billion dollar prize ... for the
> > first organisation ... that can deliver a vehicle that
> > can bring launch costs down to $500/kg or lower. ...
> > private industry has repeatedly quoted a CATS
> > development cost in the region of $5-$15 billion.
>
> That vehicle has already been developed, many times over:
> http://www.dunnspace.com/leo_on_the_cheap.htm

But never built. Paper rockets can't put anything into orbit. A cash prize
would allow many different ideas to compete. At the end of the day the
opinions of thee and me as to what is the cheapest way into orbit will not
change what is finally developed. For that to happen real companies have to
build real rockets. And I propose the fastest way of doing that if to offer
up a large cash prize.

I'm sure sea-dragon would work, but I'd be concerned by unforseen
operational problems that might plague such a vehicle.