Re: DIY space transport

gherbert@xxxxxxxxx (George William Herbert) wrote:

>Even if we do reduce the cost of astronaut-hours in space,
>we need to make their time usage as efficient as possible.
>It is not cost effective, considering nearterm likely
>orbital manpower costs, to fit out modules on orbit.
>You still have to fly the systems to orbit in a pressurized
>container, for many of them, and once you do that you might
>as well make that container the module, and not have to
>spend time moving stuff around and plugging it in and
>debugging the wiring harness and cooling water plumbing
>once you're up in zero-G.
>
>If a magic vehicle appeared tomorrow with $100/lb launch
>costs for payload inside its reusable shell, with a payload
>of 250 kg or 500 kg, that cost tradeoff might be different.
>But that's not nearterm credible.

Consider this: A manufactured home costs less (per square foot) than
one stick built on site. A mobile home costs less than a manufactured
home. All three have nearly unlimited access during the construction
phase - something a module on orbit will never have.

Prices will have to drop considerably below $100/lb before it becomes
economical to do major assembly on orbit.

D.
--
Touch-twice life. Eat. Drink. Laugh.

-Resolved: To be more temperate in my postings.
Oct 5th, 2004 JDL
.

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