Re: SLAM! Scientists float plan to blast water to moon

Space Cadet wrote:
Hi All
Here is an interesting idea:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12953794/from/RSS/

I think they should put this out for a bid/competition/prize
Who suggested making a prize of delivering X tons of water to LEO?

Just my $0.02

Space Cadet

A number of us--including myself--have long advocated delivering water
or some form of propellants to LEO as the most logical way to conduct
extensive deep-space operations.

As for prizes, guaranteed markets would be far more effective. Many
have made the point that prizes produce highly leveraged results;
however, this is another way of saying that prizes are a very effective
way of jerking around the entrepreneur. One-shot prizes are not
effective ways of enticing normal investors--patrons perhaps, but not
investors.

I have suggested that multiple agreements for guaranteed payments for
delivery of water (or propellants) to LEO would be a very effective way
to create an invesment climate for developing low-cost access to LEO.
I suggest that each prospective deliverer of water would enter into
COTS-like agreements with proposer-defined milestones and prices.
Failure to meet milestones would void the agreement and open up
opportunities for more realistic approaches. However, I would hope
that the initial set of agreements would allow for modest support of as
many as 20 concepts.

I have also suggested the size of the market guarantees should be
related to price with some type of leveraged, elasticity formula. For
example, a company proposing to deliver water at $1000 / kg would
get a guarantee worth twice as many dollars as someone proposing
$2000 /kg (four times as much water). As reported at Space Access
2006, we expect to get down to about $536/kg at very high traffic
levels with out Space Van 2010.

I've been slow in getting our Space Van 2010 on our web site. However,
for a partial preview, go to: http://www.tour2space.com/newindex.htm

Best regards,
Len (Cormier)
PanAero, Inc.
x@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx (change x to len)

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