Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!midway!linac!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!swrinde!ucsd!ucbvax!ITI.ORG!aws
From: aws@ITI.ORG ("Allen W. Sherzer")
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: Re: LLNL Astronaut Delivery (was Re: You Can't Expect a Space Station)
Message-ID: <9011061342.AA16405@iti.org>
Date: 6 Nov 90 13:42:34 GMT
References: <2666@polari.UUCP>
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: Evil Geniuses for a Better Tomorrow
Lines: 39

In article <2666@polari.UUCP>:
>Soyuz is not available, 

Yes it is. I spoke with a vice president of Space Commerce Inc. recently.
He told me that for $50M he would deliver you a Soyuz. I'm sure you could
also get a quanity discount.

>how can LLNL have it in their plan?

They don't as far as I know. I am only demonstrating that it can be done.

>A capsule of $ 200 M is inadequate, as a minimum a Gemini type vehicle
>is required which is more like $ 2 - 3 B.  

You have yet to justify that number in any way. Why won't ACRV work?
Also, for $2 to 3 billion (assuming your numbers are correct) you could
build and launch ~5 Earth Stations. If the first one fails, the second
one will. This second one will be built and launched for less than the cost
of ONE shuttle flight.

>Remember you need long
>duration EVA, it may take a couple of weeks to get a failed LLNL
>fully deployed.

Or it might not. Skylab didn't need two weeks.

>  If we had access to Soyuz and Soviet technology, the cheapest
>approach would be to scrap LLNL and use Mir.

Mir does not provide artificial gravity. It is also not clear that
the Soviets would sell it (after all, it is starting to show a profit).

  Allen

-- 
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Allen W. Sherzer| I had a guaranteed military sale with ED-209. Renovation |
|   aws@iti.org  | programs, spare parts for 25 years. Who cares if it      |
|                | works or not?  - Dick Jones, VP OCP Security Concepts    |