2010

[qso1]

At 2.7 B dollars for an orbiter last I checked. And even with a reduced price tag, not too likely. Whatever company bought it woul be restricted to the processing and launch facilities at KSC. This would keep the company orbiter limited in its flight rate as NASA would be utilizing the complex 39 facilities for CEV. The SCA and MDDs would have to be retained for any possible shuttle emergency landing.<br /><br />The cost of improving and revamping it would also be a hefty expense and probably not necessary because as is, the shuttles work fine, they are just expensive to operate and maintain. A private company is going to be looking first for something that won't require such a large investment, unless that company is going to basically be in the humans to space business and the few that currently are looking to do that (Virgin Galactic), are also going to be investing in new ways to get to orbit. Virgin Galactic for example will go with suborbital tourist flights via Rutan spaceship two craft. If the effort proves successful, orbital flights in a spaceship 3 would presumably follow. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[hansolo0]

Why not? Is the government not even going to consider it once retirement of the fleet comes?

 

[qso1]

Bottom line is, what company is going to just appear, be able to spend at least 2 B dollars for the orbiter, then underutilize it? Keeping in mind the payload capacity is beyond the needs of all but the most ambitious private company needs.<br /><br />Unmanned satellites are generally well below the optimal payload bay usage. A company such as Virgin Galactic could buy an orbiter and put a tourist module roughly based on Spacelab in the payload bay but at a cost well beyond what they are investing in the current Rutan spaceplanes.<br /><br />Add to that, unless there is a major change in the CEV program, NASA will still be utilizing complex 39. This includes pads, VAB. The OPFs will probably be converted to other usage although a private company operating a shuttle would need at least one OPF. But basically, a private company would loose as much as two months minimum to NASA CEV on complex 39 usage. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[qso1]

This is a problem facing private companies today who may wish to open the door to space for the masses. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>