[FPSPACE] MirCorp & private sector RLVs

[Keith Gottschalk]

     The big MirCorp-killer, & killer of other private sector space travel companies, has always been the lack of RLVs that meet the space shuttle's original, TSTO specs: to be one order of magnitude, & a.s.a.p. two orders of magnitude, lower in cost than current "used only once by a little old lady to get to LEO" rockets.

   Many FPSPACE-ers no doubt have already read the following item. For those who have not, it at least provides a financial lifeline to keep Kistler in the running, however far behind VentureStar - & whatever Boeing's number-crunchers have in mind for their 60 ton thrust H2O5 engine.  

    It also shows the attitude difference Dwayne noted between ideological, free marketeer NASA-bashers, vs. the attitude of real business corporations, happy to get any contracts - whether in a private market (eg., OSC's Pegsus-X from comsat launchers), or a quasi-market, as contractors to a business-friendly Government & its business-friendly NASA. See paragraph 5.

> "Kistler Hopes NASA Study Will Give K-1 A  Boost
>  Kirkland - August 24, 2000 -
>  Kistler Aerospace Corp. has been awarded a contract by  NASA's Marshall Space  Flight Center                 >  (MSFC) to  conduct a study for Alternate   Access to the International  Space Station (ISS).

>  The Alternate Access to Station (AAS) study, part of NASA's   Space Launch Initiative program,     >  will assess U.S. contingency   options to the ISS.

>  The ISS nominally uses the Space Shuttle or internationally  contributed foreign launch systems to >   deliver cargo to the ISS.   NASA is interested in studying potential augmentation of these resupply >   methods with emerging launch service providers. This  augmentation is envisioned to enhance                     >   ISS operability. 

>   During the three-month study, Kistler will develop and submit to  NASA a detailed roadmap                 >   showing how the K-1 can become a  viable choice to meet NASA's ISS contingency resupply               >   needs. 

>   "NASA is very supportive of the U.S. emerging launch vehicle   providers. In this solicitation, we          >   particularly wanted to hear from small businesses such as Kistler," said Dan Dumbacher,                      
>   manager of the 2nd Generation Reusable Launch Vehicle  Program at NASA's Marshall Space                >   Flight Center in Huntsville,  Ala. 

>  "We have received very innovative proposals and look forward to the results of the AAS study            >  such that we can move forward with  the Alternate Access Project of the Space Launch                        >  initiative."  As the world's first commercial fully reusable launch vehicle, the  K-1 provides a unique     >  capability to augment NASA's resupply  strategies for the ISS. ..... [ snip ]  .....
>  Kistler has fewer than 50 employees and is a  privately funded U.S. company with corporate              > offices in Kirkland, Wash., and executive offices in Los Angeles.  .... [ snip ] .......  Orbital flight tests   > and commercial operations will be conducted from  Woomera, Australia, followed by the                      > commencement of  commercial operations from the Nevada Test Site."

    Maybe in the next decade, MirCorp or its successors will have one market-killer removed?

Keith Gottschalk