"Rand Simberg" wrote in message
...
On 22 Jul 2003 00:45:33 GMT, in a place far, far away,
(MSu1049321) made the phosphor on my monitor glow
in such a way as to indicate that:

I have to protest the idea Lockmart had little incentive to make the x-33
work... they invested more of their own money into that project than any
company has since Boeing bet the farm on the 747.

But much less money than they would have lost if the Titan and Atlas
had been put out of business.

Just how much money do you think they make off their ELVs? I have a strong
feeling those programs border on break-even. There's a reason they don't win
too many commercial contracts, and it's not from lack of trying. Given their
flight records, which would you choose? Atlas or Ariane V? The fact that
Arianespace commands the lion's share of the market tells me that LM can't
compete on price, since they have them beat on delivery.

-Kim-