Re: Death Sentence for the Hubble?

From: Eric Chomko (echomko_at__at_polaris.umuc.edu)
Date: 03/23/05 

Date: Wed, 23 Mar 2005 04:05:03 +0000 (UTC)

Jeff Findley (jeff.findley@ugs.nojunk.com) wrote:

: "Eric Chomko" <echomko_at_@polaris.umuc.edu> wrote in message
: news:d1pm8o$1ldl$4@news.ums.edu...
: > Jeff Findley (jeff.findley@ugs.nojunk.com) wrote:
: > : Why do you say we are at an impasse? We don't *have* to let the
: government
: > : design and build our luanch vehicles. They don't design and build
: passenger
: > : jet aircraft, so why should they be allowed to design and build launch
: > : vehicles?
: >
: > Okay, we stop the government from building manned spacecraft, then what?

: Instead of spending billions of dollars on the shuttle program, we offer a
: government funded orbital Y-Prize of $1 billion. Rules similar to the
: original X-Prize. Base assumptions are that the craft must be manned and
: reusable. To win the prize, you have to fly two manned flights to LEO
: (minimum of two orbits each flight) within one month of each other.

I suppose the idea of a prize is good in that unless the product design is
implemented as required no money is paid out. The problem there now with
manned spaceflight is that all SS1 has done was to mimic Alan Shepard's
maiden voyage. Why should NASA award anything for a John Glenn-type flight
given that John Glenn has already orbitted the earth?!

: One more thing. No government funding of the craft is allowed.

I agree with that premise for a 'prize'.

: Then we stand back and watch, just as we did with the X-Prize.

Okay.

: Following that X-Prize, you offer a Z-Prize of another $1 billion for the
: first private craft to successfully dock with ISS.

I'd support that. How do you get the ball rolling?

: Even before the Z-Prize is won, you offer a government contract for the
: transportation of people and cargo to ISS. The fee for these flights are
: payable upon successful completion of each mission. You guarantee a minimum
: of 6 successful flight fees per year to ISS for each company that can
: provide this service, with up to a maximum of three launch companies
: (minimum 18 flights per year).

: Certainly this isn't the most thought through plan, but you get the general
: picture. You stimulate the development of a private craft through prizes
: and the guarantee of contracts that will provide these companies with a
: steady income once they have developed a craft that does something "useful".
: I'd argue that getting people and cargo to/from ISS is as good as the
: historical example of the US government paying private companies to deliver
: air mail.

Prizes are good, but I'd be reluctant to stifle NASA as well. Why not
both?

Eric

: Jeff
: --
: Remove icky phrase from email address to get a valid address.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Death Sentence for the Hubble?
    ... :>: design and build our luanch vehicles. ... :> Okay, we stop the government from building manned spacecraft, then what? ... To win the prize, you have to fly two manned flights to LEO ...
    (sci.space.policy)
  • Re: Death Sentence for the Hubble?
    ... design and build our luanch vehicles. ... > Okay, we stop the government from building manned spacecraft, then what? ... you have to fly two manned flights to LEO ... No government funding of the craft is allowed. ...
    (sci.space.policy)
  • Re: Death Sentence for the Hubble?
    ... design and build our luanch vehicles. ... > Okay, we stop the government from building manned spacecraft, then what? ... you have to fly two manned flights to LEO ... No government funding of the craft is allowed. ...
    (sci.astro)
  • Re: Death Sentence for the Hubble?
    ... :>: cargo containers flying on the same types of cargo aircraft. ... :> forced the modular design and the phone equipment monopoly soon went away. ... The best thing the US government did for telecommunications was to ... deregulate the phone industry and allow it to operate as a capitolistic ...
    (sci.astro)
  • Re: Death Sentence for the Hubble?
    ... :>: cargo containers flying on the same types of cargo aircraft. ... :> forced the modular design and the phone equipment monopoly soon went away. ... The best thing the US government did for telecommunications was to ... deregulate the phone industry and allow it to operate as a capitolistic ...
    (sci.space.policy)
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