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From: dms@MIT-HERMES.ARPA (David M. Siegel)
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: Joy rides
Message-ID: <8602111613.AA15024@hermes>
Date: Tue, 11-Feb-86 11:13:59 EST
Article-I.D.: hermes.8602111613.AA15024
Posted: Tue Feb 11 11:13:59 1986
Date-Received: Thu, 13-Feb-86 00:55:56 EST
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This discussion is silly. The cost of joy rides will be quite high for
the long term future; even the $50,000 price someone quoted seems low.
NASA charges around 10 million to launch a satellite, and they can fit
2 of them in the cargo bay. (Even this 20 million doesn't cover the
cost of the flight.) Say they can fit 50 people in a modified cargo
bay: that would put the cost at around $400,000 per person, assuming
NASA wanted to charge at around the same rate they do for satellites.

I should also add that since (wealthy) people are willing to spend 50
grand on a boat cruise, a market for 100 grand space trips probably
exists. But for a 100-10000 dollar space trip, forget it.