Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!asuvax!ncar!unmvax!uokmax!jabishop
From: jabishop@uokmax.ecn.uoknor.edu (Jonathan A Bishop)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: ASSORTED FLAMES (was re: best position for pregnancy)
Message-ID: <1991Jun7.202436.17309@uokmax.ecn.uoknor.edu>
Date: 7 Jun 91 20:24:36 GMT
References: <1991Jun7.140903.11829@vaxa.strath.ac.uk>
Organization: Engineering Computer Network, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK
Lines: 28

cabp10@vaxa.strath.ac.uk (Theora Jones, In Person!) writes:

>pps> Before you flame, consider this. do you know what the russians have been
>doing on Mir? they have been growing silicon crystals. Not just little
>crystals, that scientists can cut up and say "yes, it's definetly silicon", but
>crystals that can be used by the semiconductor industry. >VERY VERY VERY< high
>quality crystals. ata arate of one per flight. when you add this to the fact
>that the russians are offering a flight opportunity to >ANYONE< who can come up
>with the hard cash, you will see that the russian space program (or at least
>the manned section of it) has almost payed for itself, and will soon start to
>make a profit.

     It most certainly has NOT paid for itself!  The Soviet program is not as
ambitious as it was several years ago for economic reasons.  The purpose of
the Kristal module is to generate revenue, but it is not profitable yet, andd
the solicitation of rides does not suggest this.  If anything, it reflects
a great need for hard currency.  It reminds me of the Glavkosmos posters
distributed a few years ago offering launches on Energia and Buran.  Look
how successful they were.
 
--------
jabishop@uokmax.ecn.uoknor.edu

"I'm with you, LEM, though it's a shame that it had to be you.
 The mother ship is just a blip from your train made for two.
 I'm with you, boys, so please employ just a little extra care.
 It's on my mind, I'm left behind when I should have been there."
                      --Jethro Tull, "For Michael Collins, Jeffrey, and Me"