Re: Getting Mega Projects Done

From: David Summers (david_at_ualmiles.com)
Date: 11/18/04 

Date: 18 Nov 2004 07:10:41 -0800

"Christian Ramos" <cramos027@yahoo.com.au> wrote in message news:<41c5f736@news.syd.ip.net.au>...
> "David Summers" <david@ualmiles.com> wrote in message
> news:c730d17d.0411170750.43479b27@posting.google.com...
> > "Christian Ramos" <cramos027@yahoo.com.au> wrote in message
> news:<41c462f1@news.syd.ip.net.au>...
> > > "David Summers" <david@ualmiles.com> wrote in message
> > > news:c730d17d.0411151329.33f4b4c5@posting.google.com...
>
> >Snipped information outline <
> In addition to the good comments already provided by Earl et al. I would add
> the following. My immediate reaction would be to ask,
>
> a) Can you send me a sample of the material built using the methods you've
> developed

As I have said, I have not made any new materials, I have just
organized existing ones in new ways. I have developed a method of
getting to orbit with practically zero incremental cost, limiting
everything to existing materials and techniques.

> b) Have you the engineering plans for a Proof of concept including
> construction cycle.

I do have detailed plans for the baseline construction, in which I
used the rules of no new technology and money is no object. This lead
to a price point of about $500 B (mainly Delta launches). My question
was more one of how low do I need to get the price? Also, as I am
lower price by increasing the technical risk how much risk is
acceptable in the current space investment environment?

> I know this is not really helpful to your original question, but hope one
> day to see one your ideas in action.

Thank you for your (and everyone else's) input. Half the problem is
to figure out exactly what the right question is, and these
discussions are very useful for that.

Some people have said things like "tell us your idea and we will tell
you if it's good," and you asked for engineering samples.
Unfortunately, telling secrets to people (even good people like you
;-}) you meet on the internet is not a good way of getting things
done. To expand on this, if I told the world the idea then the idea
will become public domain - and it would get much harder for me to get
funding later. No investor wants to build a company so that a
competitor can steal your product!

If someone wanted to, I could get an NDA drafted and then I could tell
them about it. But to be realistic, that person would have to be
someone that 1) Their knowlege would help me 2) Their knowlege would
help them (since I am very limited in the consulting fee I could pay).
 If someone really wants to go this route, let me know. I am in
Chicago, but I might be able to convince my financial people (my
wife...) to spring for a ticket for a VERY qualified person, with no
conflicts of interest (retired is good), that has a good rep. Anyone
want to visit Chicago that fits that?

I, of course, am dying to tell everyone as you can imagine. But I
really think that telling people would decrease the likelyhood of it
getting built. Except possibly by the Chinese, I guess. But then I
want to ride it! So it really can't be built by the government.

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