beres@cadnetix.COM (05/07/88)
* All details from Boulder Daily Camera, 5/6/88; information used
and quoted without permission *
FACTS:
In todays Boulder Daily Camera (5/6) there is an article about
a Boulder company that stands to benefit by a new amendment passed by the
space sub-committee (Congress). The company is ETCO (External Tanks Corp.) of
Boulder. ETCO was created by UCAR (Univ. Corp. for Atmospheric Research, also
of Boulder) to study and design ways of using the ET in orbit. ETCO is/was
founded as a co-op between gov't and the private sector; uses of the tanks
are to be investor financed (yea!). Final bit of factual info: the bill
to authorize NASA to make use of the ET was introduced by Rep. David Skaggs
D-Colo.
ME:
Funny that a Boulder company could stand to benefit from this bill,
huh? In any event, the bill is a good idea, no matter who is the *financial*
winner. I know that uses of the ET has come up before in this group, but it
might be a good time to discuss it again - since it just really might happen.
To start the ball rolling, here are a few (well, 5) questions I have:
1. Does anyone in the know (Greg Woods at NCAR, others) know if the
previous net discussion, amongst others I presume, influenced
our Congress-critters/NASA to make use of the ET? Did it help?
2. The Camera article mentioned 20 to 30 experiments have been
proposed to UCAR. Care to give us any details, anyone?
3. Timeframe, if Congress/NASA is timely about adoption of the plan?
4. Does anyone have a summary of previous net proposals?
5. What about integration with the space station/ISF plans?
Speaking for myself only...if anyone else has a better summary of
the amendment, speak up!
-Tim
[[I would disclaim this, but unfortunately I had to sign a
non-disclaimer agreement]]
Tim Beres Cadnetix, 5775 Flatirons Pkwy, Boulder, CO 80301
beres@cadnetix.com {uunet,boulder,nbires}!cadnetix!bereshenry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer) (05/10/88)
> 1. Does anyone in the know (Greg Woods at NCAR, others) know if the > previous net discussion, amongst others I presume, influenced > our Congress-critters/NASA to make use of the ET? Did it help? Unlikely. The most significant influence was probably that the Reagan space policy specifically called for NASA to provide ETs to private companies wanting them, and this is uncontroversial enough to pass Congress easily. > 3. Timeframe, if Congress/NASA is timely about adoption of the plan? NASA is supposed to release a detailed policy document on it soon. See my latest AW&ST summary for some related news. The main issue is that any company wanting an ET in orbit has got to demonstrate to everyone's satisfaction that the tank will not make an uncontrolled reentry. This is a non-trivial problem since the tanks are big and light, would end up in quite a low orbit, and would naturally tend to orient themselves broadside- on to air drag. > 5. What about integration with the space station/ISF plans? If NASA were sensible, it would have provided for using an ET as expansion space for the station. It didn't. And I'd say Space Industries has enough problems with plain old ISF just now. -- NASA is to spaceflight as | Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology the Post Office is to mail. | {ihnp4,decvax,uunet!mnetor}!utzoo!henry
al@eos.UUCP (Al Globus) (05/17/88)
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.