Re: Vision of the three Rs: Regular, Reliable and Reusable


Fred J. McCall wrote:
simberg.interglobal@xxxxxxxxx (Rand Simberg) wrote:

:On Sat, 17 Feb 2007 00:28:54 GMT, in a place far, far away,
:fairwater@xxxxxxxxx (Derek Lyons) made the phosphor on my monitor glow
:in such a way as to indicate that:
:
:>>>>>>Set up a water depot in LEO, and guarantee to purchase at least 1000
:>>>>>>tons/year from the lowest bidder to actually deliver, but with a price
:>>>>>>cap set initially just barely within reach of current launchers. Then
:>>>>>>lower the price cap each year for ten years, to drive continual progress.
:>>>>>
:>>>>>In other words - pork and handouts.
:>>>>
:>>>>No, handouts are when you give the money with no service provided.
:>>>
:>>>Buying something for which demand exists (beyond a future handwaving
:>>>one) amounts to the same thing - giving away money in exchange for
:>>>token services.
:>>
:>>Huh?
:>
:>That should have been 'for which no demand exists'.
:
:But demand can be easily created. Water in space is useful.

And yet every space station that ever was has a problem getting rid of
the stuff.

Hint: You don't try to 'create demand'. You service the ones that
exist and let the new ones come as they will.

Create might be to direct a word but there is nothing wrong with
demand being created out of byproducts of research. Think of the
ARPAnet turned Internet and how the latter has been an economic boon.
Surely the ARPAnet wasn't created to create a demand as it were. But
as a byproduct or research no one can argue that the Internet hasn't
been worthy of service.

Same could be said of spaceflight. Hopefully with all the launches,
the building of ISS and further exploration we stumble upon an actual
economic demand for space.

Eric


--
"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable
man persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore,
all progress depends on the unreasonable man."
--George Bernard Shaw

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Vision of the three Rs: Regular, Reliable and Reusable
    ... :>That should have been 'for which no demand exists'. ... And yet every space station that ever was has a problem getting rid of ... "....all progress depends on the unreasonable man." ... "The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; ...
    (sci.space.policy)
  • Re: Vision of the three Rs: Regular, Reliable and Reusable
    ... :fairwater@xxxxxxxxx made the phosphor on my monitor glow ... :>That should have been 'for which no demand exists'. ... And yet every space station that ever was has a problem getting rid of ... "The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; ...
    (sci.space.policy)
  • Re: Vision of the three Rs: Regular, Reliable and Reusable
    ... ARPAnet turned Internet and how the latter has been an economic boon. ... Surely the ARPAnet wasn't created to create a demand as it were. ... hopeful uses as well. ... one day cheap space travel will be a fact. ...
    (sci.space.policy)