Digest Number 570

>
> I am confused about something. I know NASA use to launch commercial
> payloads and subsidize the high launch costs, thus undercutting the
> commercial launch services market. But I thought they were no longer
> allowed to do either (launch commercial payloads/subsidize launch
> costs). Is NASA still doing either? Beal Aerospace shut down (10/00)
> because they couldn't compete with NASA's subsidies? Does anyone know
> the real story here?
>
> Jack

No - they shut down because their product was massively over-priced in
relation to foreign (particularly Soviet) boosters; & because ITAR made
insurance for new lifters prohibitively expensive. NASA had nothing to do
with the issue (it isn't a major lifter in the weight range Beal was
targeting); but made a convenient scapegoat for marks trying to cover the
company's dumb business planning.

Live in peace
Robert.Clements@...
endeavour2 project http://www.geocities.com/robtclements/endeavour2.html>