"Rand Simberg" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 22 Jul 2003 10:55:30 GMT, in a place far, far away, "Kim
Keller" made the phosphor on my monitor glow in
such a way as to indicate that:
Launch contracts are not done on a cost-plus basis.

They are for the Air Force.

Alas, no. From
http://www.globalsecurity.org/space/...LMCvBoeing.pdf :

"25. The Air Force's new competition strategy also required that the two
contractors bid for the initial thirty (30) launch missions on a
firm-fixed-price basis, i.e., a
guaranteed set price per launch. This firm-fixed-price approach increased
the stakes for
the contractors because it placed maximum risk and full responsibility on
the contractor
to perform even in the event that the costs of the launch far exceeded the
fixed price to be
paid by the Air Force."

The unit that got X-33, and pretended that it planned to to V* had
zero commercial experience, and a long history of denigrating the
prospects for commercial markets. One could tell from their "business
plan" that they weren't serious.

Of course they weren't. They were hoping to draw Uncle into financing
VentureStar for them.

-Kim-