XPost: sci.space.policy   
   From: klaehn@gamemakers.de   
      
   Cris Fitch wrote:   
      
   > Not long ago it looked like the Medium lift market was   
   > over-subscribed with Proton, Ariane-5, Sea Launch, Atlas-5   
   > and Delta-IV.  Now with the retirement of Shuttle and a   
   > new plan for manned exploration coming into being, we've   
   > got to ask ourselves:   
   >   
   > 1) Launch lots of medium payloads   
   > or   
   > 2) Go Heavy   
   >   
   Option 2 would be a dream come true for whoever gets to build the heavy lift   
   vehicle. The barrier of entry for such a beast is very large, so you do not   
   have to fear competition that much. If you had a standard payload size of,   
   say, 5 metric tons, you would have many competitors from the start, and   
   even completely new launch methods such as space tethers, space elevators,   
   TSTO or SSTO space transports could enter the market at comparatively low   
   cost.   
      
   Given that, it would be a mistake to let the provider of the launch vehicle   
   design the payloads. That way boeing might have just enough "unexpected"   
   weight growth that their own vehicle is the only possible launch option...   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)