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SpaceDev Auctioning Microsatellite Mission On Ebay
physicsnerd writes "SpaceDev has announced that they are auctioning a Microsatellite Mission on Ebay. From the SpaceDev Press Release: "Most earth orbiting small satellite missions can cost $25 million or more, not including the launch. To demonstrate the affordability of private space missions, SpaceDev has posted a "Buy it Now" price of $9.5 million which includes an insured launch and on-orbit insurance. The high bidder will win a spacecraft based on SpaceDev's Maneuvering and orbit Transfer Vehicle (MTV(TM)).""
For your 9 1/2 mil you get to buy up to a year's worth of time on the satellite (which hasn't even been designed yet, btw). After 60 days you can sublet your time to defray cost.
From the article:"...qualified people around the world would be able to purchase time slots on your satellite for a fee, and you would receive revenues from those sales.** With enough purchases, over a long mission life, you might have the opportunity to make some or all of your money back."
Sounds like a hell of a deal to me.
No matter how many of my rights are taken away, somehow I still don't feel safe. -Frigid Monkey
The way I see it, owning (at least in part) a satellite is a lot like owning a radio station.
My uncle owns a few stations, and the scheme works like this; he buys a radio station for around $10 million (with hefty financing from a bank, of course), and arranges it so that the monthly payments on the loan are less than the monthly revenues from the radio station.
Maybe there is a similar opportunity for small business owners to have access to a satellite like this? Lord knows, I can't think of anything. How could a satellite bring in $10 million? I mean, aside from Real Genius Death Lasers and government spycams?
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