food for thought.

I haven't followed everthing that SSI has been doing in the last few years because of health problems. Is there any chance that this new "commercial" initiativein space could lead to anything that fits the original vision of this group?

> Date: Wed, 27 Jan 2010 19:19:01 -0700
>
> > Get launch costs down. Nothing else matters if we don't get
> > launch costs down. Going to the Moon, going to Mars, mining
> > the asteroids, even increases in unmanned probes isn't
> > practical until it costs about 1% as much to put something
> > in orbit as it does now.
> >
> > I hope this thing about encouraging commercial launchers
> > does it, together with Virgin Galactic, Bigalow Aerospace,
> > and others. Get the launch costs down.
>
> That's what I'm thinking too. STS was supposed to bring launch costs
> down dramatically, and didn't. Ares sure wasn't going to do it. Time
> to give the commercial providers a chance.
>
> This is not to say that the withdrawal from the Moon isn't a
> disappointment, however. I rather liked the idea of commercial
> providers getting us to orbit, and NASA doing stuff beyond LEO (for the
> near future).
>
> If we weren't embroiled in several wars, seems like a permanent return
> to the Moon would be easy to fund... but, trying to look on the bright
> side, perhaps NASA's withdrawal will only encourage the commercial
> sector to find a way to do it profitably, instead of waiting around for
> a government teat to suckle.
>
> Best,
> - Joe
>
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