Xref: utzoo sci.space:5649 sci.space.shuttle:738
Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!bbn!uwmcsd1!ig!agate!eos!al
From: al@eos.UUCP (Al Globus)
Newsgroups: sci.space,sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: What to do with the external shuttle tanks
Message-ID: <719@eos.UUCP>
Date: 17 May 88 01:25:41 GMT
Organization: NASA Ames Research Center, California
Lines: 27

My favorite use for external tanks: sports arena.

Note that the revenue from a major sporting event (Olympics, SuperBowl)
can be in the $100 millions range.

Put an aft cargo compartment on the tank so that modification
work that cannot be done on the ground can be done in a shirt sleeve
environment.

First launch sets up the facility and presurizes the oxygen tank.

Next launch a Shuttle and a Soyuz simulataneously to dock with the
facility (this may be tricky).  The shuttle carries a pilot and
commander, a video technician, two American and two Soviet atheletes.
The Soyuz carries a Soviet pilot, one American and one Soviet athelete.

Take four days to train and aclimate.  Then have three or four games,
one per day with three on three teams, Americans vs Soviets.  I
guarantee VERY large audiences for at least the first game.

With proper marketing you just might be able to make some money.  In
any case, the initial potential income vastly exceeds any other
space venture.  You should take in hundreds of millions in the first
week of operation.

The scientist and engineers have had the orbital sandbox to themselves
for too long.  It's time for others to get in the action.