On Thu, 09 Dec 2010 16:31:55 -0500, JF Mezei
wrote:


But aren't NASA's cost models developed with pork in mind, knowing that
not giving specific industries/cities lots of economic activity would be
a political show stopper that would prevent budget approval ?

NASA didn't develop or fund EELV (Boeing's Delta IV and
Lockheed-Martin's Atlas 5), the Pentagon did.

or let me ask this differently:

When Boeing builds a commercial satellite launcher, are its costs much
lower and closer to SpaceX's costs and it is only work done for NASA
that is bloated ?

No, as evidenced by Delta IV's complete failure in the commercial
market (Boeing/ULA don't even market it anymore.)

Brian