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- Newsgroups: sci.space
- Path: sparky!uunet!cis.ohio-state.edu!news.sei.cmu.edu!fs7.ece.cmu.edu!crabapple.srv.cs.cmu.edu!pgf@srl03.cacs.usl.edu
- From: pgf@srl03.cacs.usl.edu ("Phil G. Fraering")
- Subject: Saturn costs, shuttle costs...
- Message-ID: <BzHM19.KvG.1@cs.cmu.edu>
- X-Added: Forwarded by Space Digest
- Sender: news+@cs.cmu.edu
- Organization: [via International Space University]
- Original-Sender: isu@VACATION.VENARI.CS.CMU.EDU
- Distribution: sci
- Date: Sat, 19 Dec 1992 03:35:33 GMT
- Approved: bboard-news_gateway
- Lines: 38
-
-
- \ In any case this is all apples-vs-oranges... More informative numbers
- /would be to compare inflation adjusted development costs of various NASA
- \programs to DCX, DCY... The key though is not to compare just the Shuttle,
- /try to find programs with similar scopes, and complexities. Perhaps
- \the LM, Gemini, the Dryden Center's experiments with flying bodies (from what
- /I've read, one of NASA's more cost effective programs, the result of
- \being a local initiative without a lot of official support or oversite),
- /and the X-15 (although primarily an Air Force project). Anyone have any
- \numbers, and care to risk eternal flames for posting them?
-
- /Henry Worth
- \No, I don't speak for Amdahl... I'm not even sure I speak for myself.
-
- This account will be going away soon and I don't know when I'll get
- back, but I'll put in some ideas I had anyway (and dare people to
- try to flame me ;-)
-
- 1) What are the incremental costs of launching a) a Saturn V, and
- b) A Shuttle Orbiter?
-
- Keep in mind, they use the same VAB, the same launch pads, crawlers
- etc... how many people did it take to launch each one?
-
- 2) What is the cost of manufacturing a Saturn V (sans payload) vs.
- the cost of remanufacturing a shuttle (combined with the amortization
- costs on that specific orbiter's purchase alone?)
-
- How much could the Saturn launch to leo compared to the Shuttle?
-
- Wickedly yours,
-
- Phil
- --
- Phil Fraering
- "...drag them, kicking and screaming, into the Century of the Fruitbat."
- <<- Terry Pratchett, _Reaper Man_
- PGP key available if and when I ever get around to compiling PGP...
-