On 3/9/2010 1:01 PM, Damon Hill wrote:
There would be extremely few, if any, payloads. The proposed missions
would cost *much* more than the launch cost; if it takes deep pockets
just to develop and build the rocket, imagine what it'll take for a
manned Mars mission.

Maybe, just maybe, solar power; that stands a chance of actually
generating money to pay for the investment.

Energia was named Energia ("Energy") because it was sold to the Soviet
people as a means of building solar power stations in Earth orbit.

Pat