🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1993Jan1.180732.3931@iti.org> aws@iti.org (Allen W. Sherzer) writes:
>In article <1993Jan1.021648.20737@ke4zv.uucp> gary@ke4zv.UUCP (Gary Coffman) writes:
>
>>>The Space Shuttle is simply the highest cost (per pound) launch vehicle ever
>>>operated.
>
>>At $37,500 a pound Pegasus is over three times the cost of Shuttle. 
>
>A pegasus flight is more like $12,000 a pound. However, if you used
>the same accounting methods, Peagasus would be far far cheaper. Remember
>that OSC paid the cost of development for Pegasus and charges it to
>customers. Shuttle costomers however aren't required to pay for the
>billions spent on Shuttle.

Arrgh! That should have been $37,500 a *kilogram*. That's about $17,000
a pound. OSC initially claimed 600 pounds to LEO for $10 million, but that's
slipped a bit. OSC cribbed the gross characteristics of Pegasus from X-15, 
they even use the same government B-52 as carrier, and from other programs 
ranging from Polaris to Peacekeeper, their propulsion partner is Hercules. 
OSC didn't spend any government money *directly* to develop Pegasus, but 
they certainly benefited from government funded programs, and DOD guaranteed
them a starter market. Nothing wrong with any of that of course, but they
didn't start with a blank piece of paper or an empty order book. And the
system still hasn't had a completely successful flight.

Gary
-- 
Gary Coffman KE4ZV          |    You make it,     | gatech!wa4mei!ke4zv!gary
Destructive Testing Systems |    we break it.     | uunet!rsiatl!ke4zv!gary
534 Shannon Way             |    Guaranteed!      | emory!kd4nc!ke4zv!gary      
Lawrenceville, GA 30244     |                     | emory!ke4zv!gary@gatech.edu