Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!randvax!ucla-an!hermix!jay
From: jay@hermix.UUCP (Jay Skeer)
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: Re: proposed "space-mail" incentive
Message-ID: <330@hermix.UUCP>
Date: 20 Dec 89 20:11:05 GMT
References: <5711@ncar.ucar.edu>
Organization: Mark V Systems, Ltd., Encino, Ca.
Lines: 61
In-reply-to: steve@groucho.ucar.edu's message of 18 Dec 89 15:52:37 GMT

Some "space mail" proposals:

A) one way
  1) Burial.
As a currently offered service Burial, or ash disposal is lucrative.  What
about Burial in space?  At $2000/lb (Current rates?) disposal of ash (I guess
about 2.5 lbs worth) is rather expensive ($5000) but I bet there would be
buyers.  At $200/lb disposal of ash is more reasonable ($500), of a body it is
still extravagant ($40000).  At $20/lb disposal of ash is probably
competitive with current dumping at sea or in the air ($50); and disposal of a
body at $20/lb ($4000) would be more competitive with other funeral services.

  2) Hazardous waist disposal
There might be a possibility here.  Anyone know how much waist disposal costs?
But what about launch risks?  Cristics complain about carefully build low mass
radioactive substances.  Who would complain about tons of stuff, all of it
really nasty?

  3) Satellite delivery
Already a very busy field.

  4) Satellite or ICBM destruction
A field that may be operating, and may have some room for expansion.  Probably
is or will be tied up by the military.  And I wouldn't want to support it.

  5) Fantastic arial fireworks
People will pay for fire work displays.  What advantage could a show gain from
extreme height (and thus a very hard access control problem)?

  6) Art
There have been a couple of proposals for orbiting artworks.

  7+) Your suggestion here

B) Two way, hard landing
  1) Bombs
This is a (the) major field of space/nearly space rocket construction.

  2) Transportation of goods = "Space Mail"
How could it possibly compete with electronic (fax) and air mail?  Not much
else could withstand the hard landing.

  3+) Your suggestion here

C) Two way, soft landing
  1) Transportation of people
Already the hour of time spent in airport terminals is a significant part of
travel time, a rocket would make a trip half way around the world 1.5 -- 2
hours instead of 12-13.  At the above 2000-200-20 $/lb a ticket would be about
$50000, $5000, $500.  For $500 you might get some traffic.  For $5000 you
would have to offer many more conveniences to compete with charter and private
planes.  I can't imagine $50000, but you might see how.

  2) Transportation of goods
Boxes usually don't complain about 13 hour plane rides.  And what needs
delivery halfway across the planet with a tighter time frame?

  3+) Your suggestion here

j'
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