Fred J. McCall wrote:

"Jeff Findley" wrote:

:This keeps participating countries off the "critical path" and it gives the
:US a key spacefairing technology which will enable bigger missions which can
:travel further from Earth. By far the biggest part of a Mars mission (mass
:wise) will be fuel. Getting other countries to foot the bill for launching
:that is a good thing. Set the precedent now rather than later.
:

This is still a 'chicken and egg' thing. If you don't have a use for
the stuff it's a waste. If you *do* have use for the stuff, then it's
one somebody's critical path for whatever missions intend to use it.

Jeff is fully aware of the 'chicken and egg problem', but he sees it
as a feature rather than a bug - because it allows subsidies to
launcher operators without actually calling it a subsidy.

D.
--
Touch-twice life. Eat. Drink. Laugh.

http://derekl1963.livejournal.com/

-Resolved: To be more temperate in my postings.
Oct 5th, 2004 JDL