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The Business Case for Reusable Launch Vehicles

Posted by michael on from the four-thousand-dollars-per-payload-pound dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Remember the failures of "shuttle replacements" like VentureStar? A Space Review article argues that even if VentureStar succeeded technically, it and other proposed big RLVs would never have made it financially: they cost too much to develop and wouldn't have made it up through increased launches. What's the solution? The author says that suborbital RLVs, like what Carmack, Rutan, and the other X Prize contenders are working on, will create a business cycle that will eventually lead to orbital vehicles."

4 of 232 comments (clear)

  1. What's the point? by Nick+of+NSTime · · Score: 0, Troll

    What's the real value of going into space? This isn't a troll; I really want to know. Why spend the money?

    1. Re:What's the point? by fenix+down · · Score: -1, Troll

      Exactly, the exploration of the Americas bankrupted Europe to fuck. There was no viable business model there, even in retrospect. Nobody ever got jack from the New World. This is why we make up crap about gold/helium isotopes and trick some poor bastards into paying for the establishment of the colonies our kids are going to sieze control of and leverage into a dominant military and economic position.

  2. Dumping Trash To Space by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    What if we were to send rockets filled with sewage or garbage to distant planets, or just in a direction where they would continue long enough to make their way far enough from Earth? Wouldn't this help reduce the amount of sewage and waste that we have on our planet? Sure, it would be expensive, but we'd have less pollution (and room for more garbage at dumps) as a result. Could this be done? What are the pros and cons? It's worth a thought at least IMO.

  3. You completely inhale the pastes in crust by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    It has come to my attention that you completely inhale the pastes in crust. Read on for more about this fascinating topic.

    The world went into shock a few weeks ago when goatse.info reported the results of a study which concluded that inhaling paste is a very dangerous pastime, one that no one is advised to take up. Eventually, everyone adapted to the new state of affairs and began inhaling other things. Almost everyone, that is. But not you! According to my records, you still inhale paste!

    Why?! What the fuck is wrong with you?!

    You moron, you idiot, you imbecile, you gay nigger ! Arg! You make me so fucking sick! FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU.