NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #31/NN_1992_31.iso/spool/sci/space/18004

Internet Message Format | 1992-12-22 | 1.8 KB

Xref: sparky sci.space:18004 talk.politics.space:1570
Path: sparky!uunet!dtix!darwin.sura.net!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu!gcoleman
From: [e-mail] (George Coleman)
Newsgroups: sci.space,talk.politics.space
Subject: Re: Justification for the Space Program
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Date: 22 Dec 92 02:33:53 GMT
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>for every dollar spent in space there is an estimated 7 dollar return in
> space spin offs.

I have read this many times in nasa releases and every time it struck a sour
chord.  If there is that much return on technical research than it sounds like
the market is in great demand.  Simple supply and demand would then dictate
that many firms would try to fill this demand.  Call me strange but I trust the
market more than I trust press release from a government agency.  If this were
realy true than there should be a *private* firm raking in a bundle of money.
To save so time and net space I will knock down the obvious straw man...
     The government needs to step in because there is a market failure.
     Technology is a common good and free market doesn't have means to
     provide common goods.....

Maybe, just maybe private firms have a hard time marketing new advances but
with a 7/1 return they should be able to find a way.  Second, if the market
realy can't work the goverment should specialize.  Have one agency specialize
in product development and one agency build real, working space ships.  NASA
spends way to much time developing new technology instead of mass producing
proven designs.
Ed Colmeman