The 8k Personal Satellite (and Other Space Adventures)

[Sarad AV]

--- On Fri, 9/25/09, Eugen Leitl <eugen at leitl.org> wrote:

 The radical simplification of
> systems at play
> in the NEPTUNE 30 rocket make it possible for IOS to launch
> a 32-satellite
> payload for around $250,000 and still make a reasonable
> profit. The $8,000
> price point is, in fact, a confidence builder. We realize
> that people do not
> want to risk a $250,000 satellite on an unproven vehicle
> but $8,000 is a risk
> most experimenters are willing to take. People must take
> the leap -- take the
> chance. Where the hell in the world will they ever have a
> chance to send an
> experiment to space -- and thatbs real space -- for a price
> as absurdly low
> as $8,000? The public has embraced our quest to lower the
> cost of access to
> orbit, and the orders are rolling in.
 
I don't see how the profit works especially when they have been working on it for 14 years. Don't they have to sustain their employees? Its easier to see how they make money if the launch fails(assuming the launch vehicle is cheaper than the money collected for sending the payload). But its just $8000 and maybe worth taking the chance and maybe that's what they want!

Sarad