Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site inuxc.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxj!ihnp4!inuxc!fred From: fred@inuxc.UUCP (Fred Mendenhall) Newsgroups: net.space,net.columbia Subject: Sixty Cents a Pound? Message-ID: <1062@inuxc.UUCP> Date: Thu, 8-Nov-84 08:30:54 EST Article-I.D.: inuxc.1062 Posted: Thu Nov 8 08:30:54 1984 Date-Received: Fri, 9-Nov-84 08:34:56 EST Organization: AT&T Consumer Products Div., Indianapolis Lines: 20 I heard the end of a segment on NPR this morning where someone was making the following claim: It costs about $1000.00 to accelerate a pound of material to escape velocity today. However if we were to switch to electromagnetic launchers (mass drivers?) the cost of electricity required to accelerate a pound of material to escape velocity would be $0.65. I have no idea who was talking, but the economics, if they are even close to being right , are interesting. Do these numbers sound reasonable to the space wizards on the net or are they science fiction. What are the problems with electromagnet launches, i.e. payloads must be designed to withstand 3000000G and must be launched in a restricted direction, etc.etc.? Fred Mendenhall