Why space colonization never happened as envisioned

Actually it all comes down to cost. It was possible for kooks of another
era (puritans) to fund their own colonies. This is not yet possible in
space exploration. The cost of getting into space is currently so high
that if gold bars were found floating in orbit and NASA used the space
shuttle to retrieve them, NASA would loose money on each and every mission.

It didn't have to be this way. The money spent by the US federal government
over the last half century should have been more than enough. If the Apollo
infrastructure would have been kept and modernized, If Nerva and Orion had
been kept alive as pure R&D programs, If launch operations had been turned
over to the private sector in the mid 1970's, but then the world is full of
what ifs.

The problems needing to be solved in order to make space flight workable are
many. Today, First and foremost is the need to lower costs in getting to
orbit. The more you spend to go somewhere the less you have to spend at
your destination.

Actually it all comes down to cost. It was possible for kooks of another
era (puritans) to fund their own colonies. This is not yet possible in
space exploration. The cost of getting into space is currently so high
that if gold bars were found floating in orbit and NASA used the space
shuttle to retrieve them, NASA would loose money on each and every mission.

But if a crate filled with $1 billion in $100 bills was in orbit around the
Earth it would pay to send the shuttle up and retreve it. Pound for pound, cold
hard cash is more valuable than gold, especially when denominated in $100
bills. You would need 10,000,000 $100 bills in orbit all tightly packed in a
box so it can fit in the Space Shuttle's cargo bay. In fact that would be a
great idea. If NASA would convert half its annual budget to cash and launched
it into orbit using the Shuttle funded by the other half of its budget, that
would supply tremendous incentive for private companies to develop launch
vehicles.

Tom

On 04 Sep 2003 15:44:40 GMT, (TKalbfus) wrote:

Actually it all comes down to cost. It was possible for kooks of another
era (puritans) to fund their own colonies. This is not yet possible in
space exploration. The cost of getting into space is currently so high
that if gold bars were found floating in orbit and NASA used the space
shuttle to retrieve them, NASA would loose money on each and every mission.

But if a crate filled with $1 billion in $100 bills was in orbit around the
Earth it would pay to send the shuttle up and retreve it. Pound for pound, cold
hard cash is more valuable than gold, especially when denominated in $100
bills. You would need 10,000,000 $100 bills in orbit all tightly packed in a
box so it can fit in the Space Shuttle's cargo bay. In fact that would be a
great idea. If NASA would convert half its annual budget to cash and launched
it into orbit using the Shuttle funded by the other half of its budget, that
would supply tremendous incentive for private companies to develop launch
vehicles.

Tom
.....but the only goal would be retrieving the cash - and when it's
gone, so would the private launches.

(TKalbfus) wrote in message ...
Actually it all comes down to cost. It was possible for kooks of another
era (puritans) to fund their own colonies. This is not yet possible in
space exploration. The cost of getting into space is currently so high
that if gold bars were found floating in orbit and NASA used the space
shuttle to retrieve them, NASA would loose money on each and every mission.

But if a crate filled with $1 billion in $100 bills was in orbit around the
Earth it would pay to send the shuttle up and retreve it. Pound for pound, cold
hard cash is more valuable than gold, especially when denominated in $100
bills. You would need 10,000,000 $100 bills in orbit all tightly packed in a
box so it can fit in the Space Shuttle's cargo bay. In fact that would be a
great idea. If NASA would convert half its annual budget to cash and launched
it into orbit using the Shuttle funded by the other half of its budget, that
would supply tremendous incentive for private companies to develop launch
vehicles.

Tom

Try Euro 500 notes

....but the only goal would be retrieving the cash - and when it's
gone, so would the private launches.


But the private companies would have to build a launch vehicle to get the
money. The more inexpensive the launch vehicle, the higher the realized
profits, and its also a bit of a space race, whoever gets there first gets the
money, it is a simple and elegant solution to developing a new launch vehicle
to replace the Shuttle. The Shuttle is an expensive vehicle to operate, but it
can still leave bails of money in space. Also consider this, the money sent
into space goes out of circulation, the only cost involved is printing the
money and launching the Shuttle. The US Government doesn't have to account for
that money in its budget until its retrieved, unless it can be spent its only
paper.
NASA can probably afford to send $1 billion into space every year, this will
encourage private companies to develop vehicles to retrieve it. NASA should
keep the timing of its money launches a secret so the private companies will
develop vehicles that launch on short notice. The MoneySat should also have
solar panels and a transponder broadcasting commercials advertising money for
the taking if they can just come up into orbit to go get it. Later on NASA can
drop money on the Moon and later Mars.

Tom