trc@houca.UUCP (10/07/83)
Response to R.E. Maas - Space station politics and $1E9 I dont agree that the government had to run the space effort just becaues it was too big for the private sector. If the space effort had really been worth it, a corporation could have been formed to exploit space, and at far less than $1E9. In fact, there have been quite a few private ventures - starting with Goddard, I suppose. My point is, if something is really worth doing, either for profit or for scientific reasons, it can usually get volutary support in the private sector. The only advantage the government has over the private sector is that it can force people to give it money to do things they dont really care to have done. If you dont believe that people really wanted space sufficiently enough to support it in the private sector, you are really saying that you want the government to force your opinion that it *is* important on all those other people. The fact that you might be right doesnt justify using force - in fact, the fact that you are right would make it even worse, since you should be able to convince people to do what you want voluntarily. In fact, the L5-society alone could probably put together an impressive corporation from its members. And I presume that there is an equal number of others like me out there that are interested, but not members of "L5". I've often wished there were some sort of corporation that would seek to establish a space project (lunar base, L5-colony, etc) that I could invest in. It would be a terrific risk, but at least something would be getting done. If nothing else, it could sponsor research into space technology, with an eye towards grabbing up some basic patents, that it could later sell to the better capitalized corporations when they move out into space in a big way. It would take 100-10000 investors with $1000 each. I've got my $1000 ready... Tom Craver houca!trc
preece@uicsl.UUCP (10/21/83)
#R:houca:-40000:uicsl:10700046:000:1787 uicsl!preece Oct 14 14:29:00 1983 If you dont believe that people really wanted space sufficiently enough to support it in the private sector, you are really saying that you want the government to force your opinion that it *is* important on all those other people. ---------- One of the proper and necessary functions of government is to do things that OUGHT to be done, even if it is not immediately obvious that they are NECESSARY. Government is able to distribute the cost of very large ventures over very large numbers of people. I like the idea of space work being done on behalf of all of us, not just those who can afford a huge investment. Note, that's a HUGE investment: ---------- I've often wished there were some sort of corporation that would seek to establish a space project (lunar base, L5-colony, etc) that I could invest in... It would take 100-10000 investors with $1000 each. ---------- If you really think we can build an L-5 colony or lunar base for $10,000,000 I think I've got a bridge you'd be interested in: good location (lower East Side), nice metalwork... I think ten million might be enough to get a satellite into orbit, exclusive of the cost of the satellite itself. On the other hand, by convincing the representatives of the 250 million residents of this country that those people ought to put up $10 apiece, you've got $2,500,000,000. It's not enough for either project in one shot, but continued over a few years it would get the job done. Investment on that scale would require a consortium of the very biggest companies and would involve huge legal hassles over whether they should be allowed to cooperate that way (look how long it took SBS to get off the ground with a much smaller, though huge by most standards, effort). scott preece pur-ee!uiucdcs!uicsl!preece