The Maine Solution - Updated

> I haven't the vaugest idea but I do know that
> expending 90% of your initial launch mass is not the
> most cost effective means of getting a payload to
> orbit, regardless of the number of launches. Despite the "A Rocket a Day Keeps the High Costs Away" paper, I'd agree that for any system launching daily or more, reusability would be a must. I've heard commentators say that reusability may confer no particular advantage at low launch rates, but significant advantage at higher rates. It's certainly true that the Shuttle wound up being no less expensive than the Saturn 5. NASA's early arguments that the Shuttle would reduce launch costs were predicated on a much greaterlaunch ratethan was ever achieved in reality. Regards,
Mike Combs