Rand Simberg wrote:

On Fri, 24 Oct 2003 04:11:13 GMT, in a place far, far away, "Kim
Keller" made the phosphor on my monitor glow in
such a way as to indicate that:



"Rand Simberg" wrote in message
. ..


I think that it would actually behoove launch companies to build test
flights into their business plan, instead of alway expecting the
government to pay for them. If they don't have a design that allows
an affordable flight-test phase, then they probably don't have a
design that will significantly reduce launch costs.


The industry practice seems to be one of offering first flight to a
commercial customer for a very reduced price. This has been true of Atlas
II, IIAS, III & V, Delta III & IV. The last time the government paid for a
first flight may have been the first Titan IV launch back in '89.



Perhaps I should have written "...expecting some customer to pay for
them."


I like the idea of offering the first flights of a new launcher at a
deep discount.
Sending sand bags to orbit serves no purpose. Of course you don't put
expensive
satellites on an untested launch vehicle. But if you are in the business of
building satellites on the cheap, launching them on the cheap makes sense,
even if you might lose the thing on the way up.

Alain Fournier