al@vger.UUCP ( Informatix) (02/02/86)
In the last few years several private organizations have tried to purchase one or more shuttle orbiters to operate for profit. Prudential Insurance lead one of these attempts and Astrotech International is still trying. With federal dollars being scarce and given the recent loss of Challenger, perhaps it is time to privatize part of the shuttle fleet if industry is still interested. One attractive approach is to sell Columbia or Discovery to a private organization for the cost of building an additional orbiter. This way investors can get an immediate return and the funds to increase the shuttle fleet are made available. Should the private party miss payments to Rockwell for the new orbiter, the government could re-possess the privatized shuttle; thus, the government minimizes risk. If several firms wanted to take advantage of this deal, then additional orbiters could be built; although the government should probably keep control of at least one orbiter (probably Atlantis).
devils1@hou2g.UUCP (D.DARBY) (02/04/86)
>In the last few years several private organizations have tried to purchase one >or more shuttle orbiters to operate for profit. Prudential Insurance lead one of >these attempts and Astrotech International is still trying. With federal >dollars being scarce and given the recent loss of Challenger, perhaps it is time >to privatize part of the shuttle fleet if industry is still interested. > >One attractive approach is to sell Columbia or Discovery to a private They won't get their hands on Columbia because the government wants it for military purposes. It is currently being prepared to be shipped to it's new permanent home at Vandenberg. >organization for the cost of building an additional orbiter. This way investors >can get an immediate return and the funds to increase the shuttle fleet are made >available. Should the private party miss payments to Rockwell for the new >orbiter, the government could re-possess the privatized shuttle; thus, the >government minimizes risk. > >If several firms wanted to take advantage of this deal, then additional orbiters >could be built; although the government should probably keep control of at least >one orbiter (probably Atlantis). I thought Atlantis was only a prototype. (too much time to think... maybe I should do some work..... Naaahh ! ) dave darby AT&T Bell Labs Holmdel, NJ