Re: Establish demand

On 28 Feb, 03:56, "Totorkon" <aertr...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Scientists can only choose what their budgets can cover. The HST was
nearly canceled, it cost ten times more than the two Keck telescopes
and has only about a 1/33 the the total light gathering capability.
The dawn mission was almost canceled as well, but it is a case where
there is no earth based alternative.

Scientists will have to choose between Hubble and two Kecks - True. I
am basically stating that there should not be any state subsidy for
space. We may take this question one stage further and ask how far
science should be subsidized. In fact most countries and most
socieities see a benefit in the increase of knowledge even if this is
not directly applicable to immediate aims. There is an obvious benefit
for example in having your best students sitting at the feet of the
great.

This being said there is no reason to dicate solutions to the greats.
Give them money and let them spend it. Let them have an Ariane or
Proton launch if that satisfies demand.

Heavy, robust engineering and agressive exploration depend on economic
access to space.

It also depends on an absence of bureaucratic proceedures for test and
verification.

Economic access depends on a steady dependable
demand. The two must be nurtured together. The experience gained,
the hardware that is developed, will be the foundation of possible
commertial enterprise.

Yes. Computers were developed without any subsidy. If you get rid of
bureaucracy and internationalize the price will come down. What I am
saying is that costs will be reduced though basic economic principles
not through some new technology coming along. A hypersonic aircraft
will be built if the economics are right.

One year in Iraq would finance 21 years of NASA expenditures at the
current rate of funding.

This is an irrelevance except for one thing. Iraq is a civil war where
the protagonists are intent on wrecking the country for everyone - See
my remarks on bags of sand.

Baghdad university has a large number of women students. I sometimes
wonder whether the attacks there are not a throwback to a pre Islamic
period. All the dead should be buried with grave goods - skimpy
bikinis, high heeled soes and other fashion items.

It is imperitive that we get the greatest
value for what is still a considerable investment.
Postcards from the far reaches are just as valuable even if they don't
have an astronaut in the foreground, and they cost a tenth as much.

Yes indeed!


- Ian Parker


.

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