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Ricky
SFN Die Hard
USA
4907 Posts |
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Dude
SFN Die Hard
USA
6891 Posts |
 Posted - 10/09/2004 : 18:33:55 [Permalink]
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Dunno.... but a ticket for a ride currently costs about $200K US.
Rutan speculates that a trip to space will cost what an average airline ticket costs within 10-15 years.
Personally, I think they are overlooking the possibilities of rapid intercontinental flight. LA to Hong-Kong in two hours anyone? Seems like a logical extension of the concept and technology to me. |
Ignorance is preferable to error; and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing, than he who believes what is wrong.
-- Thomas Jefferson
"god :: the last refuge of a man with no answers and no argument." - G. Carlin
Hope, n.
The handmaiden of desperation; the opiate of despair; the illegible signpost on the road to perdition. ~~ da filth |
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26024 Posts |
Posted - 10/09/2004 : 18:38:53 [Permalink]
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| I was under the impression that the $200K ticket price was for the upcoming five-seater model. In which case: four passengers at $200K a piece would mean $800K for fuel, launch, maintenance, salaries and some ammount of profit. |
- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too. |
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Ricky
SFN Die Hard
USA
4907 Posts |
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Dude
SFN Die Hard
USA
6891 Posts |
Posted - 10/10/2004 : 14:31:11 [Permalink]
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We could have been living on the moon by now if we had chosen to do so. The major difference in this type of speculation is rather obvious.... there is a potential profit to be made. Which was not the case back in the 50's when the government was the sole player in space technologies.
I'd say Rutan is correct, as long as the potential to make money is there. |
Ignorance is preferable to error; and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing, than he who believes what is wrong.
-- Thomas Jefferson
"god :: the last refuge of a man with no answers and no argument." - G. Carlin
Hope, n.
The handmaiden of desperation; the opiate of despair; the illegible signpost on the road to perdition. ~~ da filth |
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Siberia
SFN Addict
Brazil
2322 Posts |
Posted - 10/10/2004 : 15:03:24 [Permalink]
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| We could have been, lest the war(s) didn't take so much of our energy. |
"Why are you afraid of something you're not even sure exists?"
- The Kovenant, Via Negativa
"People who don't like their beliefs being laughed at shouldn't have such funny beliefs."
-- unknown
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Ricky
SFN Die Hard
USA
4907 Posts |
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Siberia
SFN Addict
Brazil
2322 Posts |
Posted - 10/10/2004 : 15:31:28 [Permalink]
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quote:
I think wars, while being mostly destructive, have also furthered our pursuits in the sciences. When ever a military needs something: faster travel, better communications, stronger weapons, better defenses, etc, they turn to science to find an answer. A lot of money has been invested into science for the sake of an army, which in turn has found use for the general public.
After all, wasn't the WWII who fueled what would be the computer? Yes, it does fuel a lot of scientific advance - always did. In fact, where a possible colonization of space is concerned, I believe the end of the Cold War was a great blow. The space research lost its greatest fuel - the competition of two powerful nations. Not to say things were better then, though, than they're now. |
"Why are you afraid of something you're not even sure exists?"
- The Kovenant, Via Negativa
"People who don't like their beliefs being laughed at shouldn't have such funny beliefs."
-- unknown
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Dude
SFN Die Hard
USA
6891 Posts |
Posted - 10/10/2004 : 20:38:25 [Permalink]
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quote:
A lot of money has been invested into science for the sake of an army, which in turn has found use for the general public.
The Internet (started as a DARPA project to create a distributed communications network not vulnerable to a single enemy attack)
The integrated circiut.
There is a LONG list of technology that was originally researched for military use, that now we use everyday without even thinking about it. |
Ignorance is preferable to error; and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing, than he who believes what is wrong.
-- Thomas Jefferson
"god :: the last refuge of a man with no answers and no argument." - G. Carlin
Hope, n.
The handmaiden of desperation; the opiate of despair; the illegible signpost on the road to perdition. ~~ da filth |
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Siberia
SFN Addict
Brazil
2322 Posts |
Posted - 10/11/2004 : 06:37:05 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Dude
quote:
A lot of money has been invested into science for the sake of an army, which in turn has found use for the general public.
The Internet (started as a DARPA project to create a distributed communications network not vulnerable to a single enemy attack)
The integrated circiut.
There is a LONG list of technology that was originally researched for military use, that now we use everyday without even thinking about it.
Exactly. And many researches who were glued on a path to serve war purposes. In fact, what I was trying to say at first was that the end of Cold War deaccelerated a bit the space technology race ;) My bad, didn't word it correctly. |
"Why are you afraid of something you're not even sure exists?"
- The Kovenant, Via Negativa
"People who don't like their beliefs being laughed at shouldn't have such funny beliefs."
-- unknown
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