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From: earle@oblio.DEC (Mr. SPPR)
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: NASA SHUTTLES: cost/pound?!
Message-ID: <1579@decwrl.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 3-Dec-85 16:02:25 EST
Article-I.D.: decwrl.1579
Posted: Tue Dec  3 16:02:25 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 7-Dec-85 15:14:58 EST
Sender: daemon@decwrl.UUCP
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Lines: 41




I believe that misrepresentation of statistics is being thrown around again as
usual.  The so-called bottom-line tactic that some people use is to me a useless
way of analyzing alot of situations.  The truth is the most everything that man
does, builds, or buys is not really necessary.  If you want to live like a cat,
than all we need to do is eat, sleep, and gather food.  I for one do not believe
that this is all we are good for.  It is always easier in hindsight to see that
certain objectives will not be met.  The cost/pound of putting something up in 
space is not what the shuttle was designed for.  I think that ANYONE WITH COMMON
SENSE can figure out that if you want to put something somewhere (in this case a
satellite) don't throw all of the huge amounts of manpower, thoughtpower, and 
money (READ: manpower+thoughtpower*10) at the problem as in the case of the
shuttle.  That is ONE use for it.  Some people are really silly sometimes if 
they think that 30-40 years from now (or longer) all we will be doing with the 
thing is putting people up there like mechanics!  There are alot of uses for 
the shuttle as a whole and in the technology (READ: THINGS LEARNED) that built
than in the cost/pound of putting a satellite up. 

This goes for any of the other ONE only uses for the shuttle.  Don't think that:
- fiber optics will destroy the shuttle because there won't be a need for sat.;
come on, if that's true, they will call this the wire planet in the future.
What about cellular telephones?  Maybe will should have a wire coming out of 
the top of our cars like in the bumper-cars at an amusement park!? 
- All manufacturing that can be done in space can be done on earth.  Do those
people really belive that the environment is the same on earth as it is in 
space?  Then how can that argument be made?
-We (speaking internationally now) will find uses for the 'space-plane' as I 
call it in the future that we haven't thought of yet.  

So in the future I hope some will not try to settle mans' uses for things in 
one swoop of the bottom-line in today's terms -- tomorrow's terms maybe called
the bottom-curve.  ;-)


						George Earle
						Digital Equip. Corp
						DECVAX!DECWRL!RHEA!OBLIO!EARLE

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