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From: szabo@crg5.UUCP (Nick Szabo)
Newsgroups: sci.space,sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: space news from Nov 19 AW&ST
Message-ID: <20754@crg5.UUCP>
Date: 18 Dec 90 03:46:33 GMT
References: <1990Dec13.062441.16545@zoo.toronto.edu>
Reply-To: szabo@crg5.UUCP (Nick Szabo)
Organization: Sequent Computer Systems, Inc
Lines: 38

In article <1990Dec13.062441.16545@zoo.toronto.edu> henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer) writes:
>...
>US and Canadian electric utilities discuss rapid development and launch of
>a solar-storm-warning satellite to help protect power-distribution networks
>against high solar activity.  The utilities fear possible repetitions
>of the 13 March 1989 storm, which plunged Quebec into a nine-hour blackout,
>nearly blacked out the entire US Eastern Seaboard as well, and caused
>serious malfunctions and significant equipment damage in many areas.
>A small satellite would be parked in a halo orbit around the Earth-Sun
>L1 point [where ISEE-3 was stationed for some years].  It would be
>quite simple, carrying a UCLA magnetometer and an LANL plasma analyzer.
>The utilities hope that it could be up by 1992, given rapid commercial
>development, launch on Pegasus, and commercial funding throughout.  The
>utilities hope that NOAA would contribute some money -- and indeed, both
>NOAA and the USAF are interested -- but government budgeting is too slow
>for the perceived urgent need.
>...

This is a great example of why lowering the entry-level costs of
space by a factor of 5 -- even if the cost/kg is higher -- is a good
business proposition.  All of a sudden, we are seeing new industries
emerge, in little niches here and there.   Solar storm warning was
previously a government monopoly for government purposes.  Now, companies
can afford to launch satellites to suit their own needs.  Over the long 
term, IMHO the number of organizations with access to space will rise by 
an order of magnitude due to Pegasus.   I predict that once consciousness
of cheap space access reaches the business community, we will be seeing 
many more new, small industries like this one emerge.  Not all of these
will remain small.  Way to go OSC and Hercules!




-- 
Nick Szabo			szabo@sequent.com
"For historical reasons, this feature is unintelligible"
The above opinions are my own and not related to those of any
organization I may be affiliated with.