Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site mit-eddie.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!genrad!mit-eddie!menageri From: menageri@mit-eddie.UUCP (The Menagerie) Newsgroups: net.space,net.columbia Subject: Re: Sixty Cents a Pound? Message-ID: <3113@mit-eddie.UUCP> Date: Mon, 12-Nov-84 21:25:26 EST Article-I.D.: mit-eddi.3113 Posted: Mon Nov 12 21:25:26 1984 Date-Received: Tue, 13-Nov-84 07:23:37 EST References: <1062@inuxc.UUCP> Reply-To: menageri@mit-eddie.UUCP (The Menagerie) Organization: MIT, Cambridge, MA Lines: 22 In article <1062@inuxc.UUCP> fred@inuxc.UUCP (Fred Mendenhall) writes: > > 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 > >