Barriers to free enterprise in the high frontier

From:
To:
Sent: Friday, October 12, 2001 1:50 AM
Subject: [spacesettlers] Barriers to free enterprise in the high frontier

[snikt]
> 1. The statement, "it costs $10,000/lb to get in to LEO/GEO" is not
> only horribly misleading but an over simplification of the issue. Is
> there a good article/book/web site that explains this issue
> completely (specifically, how to compute launch costs and what
> factors contribute - in relative layman terms)? I read in one post
> that even if launch costs were reduced to $0/lb, space
> industrialization, still wouldn't be economically viable. This is a
> sobering thought. Could it be true?

I don't think so. A miraculous cost of $0/lb would instantly make the
industry of space tourism and space real state blossom. (I'm following your
directive of using the term "space industry" as loosely as possible. I don't
think that tourism can be classified as an industry in conventional
terms...) And there *is* proof that millions and millions of people would be
willing to spend, say, $ 10,000 to take a vacation in space.

[snikt]
> Jack
[snikt]

Lucio