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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxn!ihnp4!gargoyle!sphinx!raha
From: raha@sphinx.UChicago.UUCP (Bob Hettinga)
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: Request for Information
Message-ID: <1542@sphinx.UChicago.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 26-Jan-86 10:38:24 EST
Article-I.D.: sphinx.1542
Posted: Sun Jan 26 10:38:24 1986
Date-Received: Mon, 27-Jan-86 02:49:27 EST
Organization: U. Chicago - Computation Center
Lines: 63


Ah, a chance to use the net for it's intended purpose...

There is a small group of us here in Chicago interested in financial and
economic research in space development.  We want to look at some of the
more, er, entrepreneurial ventures and project ideas out there and write
them up. Our interest in this stuff is purely academic, more for progress
along our own learning curves than anything else.  That, and the fact that
stuff like this is a hell of a lot of fun. One of the interesting things
about amateur status is the opportunity to walk out onto thin ice and jump
on it to see if it holds...  (Eat your heart out, Wolfgang Demisch ;-).)

Our scam-of-interest this time (* Scam := Deal(Wants_Bucks); *) is the
current project of one Gary Hudson; the Phoenix. 

NO, we do NOT want to cloud the newsgroup with comments, postings, flames or
other stuff. YES, we ARE soliciting e-mail info and will send copies of our
results back via e-mail, maybe by USnail if the postage doesn't kill us, IF
we can produce something readable.  If there is significant demand, we'll
even post a short abstract/synopsis to the net.

Our primary interests here are 1.)  *publically*  available sources of
financial data and estimates (ie, development and production costs, market
size and projected growth, etc.) and 2.) sources of technical information on
both the Phoenix project and it's attendant technologies (ie, hypercooled
fuel, SSTO single-fuel engines, VTOL spacecraft, yup, even plug nozzles).

Also, we'd appreciate hints, pointers, comments from sidewalk supervisors,
rumour mill output, and other such subjective stuff, to get a feel for the
space community's opinion of Hudson, the Phoenix, and whether this thing
will ever play in Peoria.

PLEASE NOTE: If you don't get through to us through uucp or bitnet, DON'T
post as a last resort.  If you think it's important enough, send it via
USnail. I've only been on the net since the middle of October, and I'm sure
the topic of Hudson and the Phoenix has been beat to death here already.
The last thing I saw was someone's posting about where to send your
resume`s, and I'm sure the users of the net have better things to talk about
than another round of war stories, plug nozzles, and how Gary's Last Rocket
Blew Up |-).

Our effort is shoestring, bootleg, and mostly recreational.  There is no
budget here except the contents of our 'donated manhours' line item.  We
have no connection with Pacific American Launch Systems, and not really
anyone else in the Aerospace or Finance Biz, either.

Thanks in advance for all your help. I'm through jumping up and down now. I
think I hear the sound of cracking ice. Hmmm, sounds more like a calving
glacier....  Better run. Bye.


-rah

-- 


Bob Hettinga (Chairman, CEO, Virtual Vaccuum Ventures, Inc. (V^3 I) ) 

UUCP: ...!ihnp4!gargoyle!sphinx!raha 

Phone: 312-684-8340
Home Address: 		5454 South Dorchester
			Chicago, Illinois 60615