In sci.space.policy Henry Spencer wrote:

However, the tether deployment, spin-up, and control are basically research
projects, whereas rocket stages are fairly well understood. You're right,
the results probably would be better, but it's a longer-term project with
higher risk.

And ion from LEO to lunar orbit has bad problems with the Van Allen belts.
Rad-hard electronics and solar arrays are very hard on the budget (and on
the schedule, because of availability problems).

compared to what? The availability of tethers is rather worse so far and
unlike almost anything else, ramping up rad hard electronics production
is not that hard. Its much easier than say ramping up production of rockets.


An easy mass margin design should be much easier on R&D money.

Only if it doesn't incur major new R&D problems of its own. Much the best
way to provide generous mass margins is just to buy a bigger launch. (One
possible way of doing that without moving out of the Molniya class -- it's
a big step up to Zenit 3SL or Proton -- would be to launch Molniya from
Kourou. I don't know if the Soyuz pad there will be fitted for this, but
it might well be.)

The pad is still in construction, no? What it will do, potentialy after upgrades
is thus open. I would be very suprised if its specs hadn't already changed from
what the original was.

--
Sander

+++ Out of cheese error +++