Perhaps I missed something, is ERPS getting a $4 million dollar loan? Samuel Coniglio wrote:
> Right on! > > Those are the numbers that get people's attention! > > Sam > > At 9:41 PM -0500 12/9/02, Sean Patrick Daly wrote: > >Not so much "If you build it, they will come", but more "If they can finance > >it, they will fly!" > > > >I'm floored at the idea that space access should only for those who have > >fully educated themselves (by school or self) on the intricate workings of > >the launch vehicle that would carry them. While I do agree that those who > >have dedicated their lives to this should be first in line, I also believe > >that there is room for more than just the engineers and millionaires. > > > >Space tourism should be exactly what it is... Tourism. If you can finance a > >$400,000.00 house, why not a trip to orbit? > > > >Lets see, $400,000.00 loan at 7% for 30 years comes out to about $958,036.60 > >(Not too shabby) ($2,661.21 per month is affordable for upper middle class). > >You take reservations, start the loan process and deposit the down payment > >and future monthly payments in escrow. They then get put in line and > >train/fly in the order in which they signed up. (Full fare paid up front > >clients would fly first) After flight, they continue to pay their monthly > >payment until either the loan is paid off, or they pay the principal. > >Lenders insurance would help with those who default (and if they have not > >flown yet, they lose all money paid thus far). > > > >If you could make room for 12, you would get a minimum of $4,800,000.00 > >(assuming paid in full passengers). If you could keep the costs of training > >and flight operations to under $800,000.00 per flight, you could walk away > >with $4,000,000.00 ($10,696,439.20 if they all financed full term). > > > >I won't argue that most of these people are not space enthusiasts, but they > >have $$$ and would love the bragging rights that would come with an orbital > >adventure of some sort. > > > >Remember this... The technology that you are all using to trade messages on > >this list at one point was completely useless to the masses. Before there > >was product, there was no market. Give them product, (and a viable way to > >pay for it) and they will create the market. Video game sales were somewhere > >around $15 Billion this year, so the money is out there! > > > >It all starts with the enthusiasts and early adopters (and millionaires > >looking for bragging rights). In enough time, the rest of the world will get > >plenty jealous and want in on the action. > > > >Someone will put eventually put together a program that will allow this. > > > >(In the words of so many before me) If I had the capitol, I would do it > >myself! > > > >Sean > > > > > > > >-----Original Message----- > >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of > >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >Sent: Monday, December 09, 2002 5:54 PM > >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >Cc: ERPS Main List > >Subject: Re: [ERPS] Slashdotters want to be astronauts > > > > > >Good call, Randall! > > > >Unfortunately, slashdot is not the only place with this laziness. I've seen > >interest in space fading everywhere. Space games are in; real space action > >is > >out. > > > >While I commend your "if you build it, they will come" approach, we still > >need > >to figure out "what people will really shell out money for" as opposed to > >"what people think is neato." > > > >Sam > > > > > > > >On Mon, 09 Dec 2002 14:08:58 -0800 Randall Clague <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >wrote: > > > >> On Mon, 9 Dec 2002 12:32:26 -0800 (PST), > >> Michael Wallis > >> wrote: > >> > >> >Slashdot (http://slashdot.org), the news site > >> for Geeks, is running a > >> >"What do you want to be when you grow up?" > >> poll as their regular poll > >> >question. With over 30,000 votes cast, > >> becoming an astronaut is > >> >getting 25% of the vote. Unforuntately, > >> becoming a potato is getting > >> >31% and everything else has been CowboyNeil'ed > >> (ie - scoring lower > >> >that the obligatory silly CowboyNeil answer). > >> > > >> >While unscientific to say the least, it does > >> show there is a sizable > >> >population of people who are interested in > >> going into space. We just > >> >need to develop the technology so they can > > > afford to do it. > >> > >> Slashdotters are a non-market - they are > >> interested in space, but not > >> interested *enough* to do anything about it > >> that is more difficult > >> than watching the Discovery Channel. I had a > >> long conversation with > >> one such at Loscon. Twenty-something, average > >> potential intelligence, > >> compulsive gamer. His compulsive gaming had > >> prevented him from > >> getting even what public education is available > >> in California, and his > >> effective IQ was around 80. We've all heard > >> that a mind is a terrible > >> thing to waste, but I'd never seen one such > >> before last weekend. It > >> was appalling. > >> > >> If anyone wants to sell to the slashdot crowd, > >> I recommend they gauge > >> the seriousness of their market by getting a 1% > >> deposit up front. In > >> the case of a Space Adventures ride to space, > >> this would be $980. Of > >> the millions of /. that *claim* to be > >> interested in space, maybe a > >> dozen will fork over the cash to really do > >> something about it. > >> > >> I generally avoid marketing, promotion, and > >> advertising, preferring an > >> "if you build it, they will come" approach. > >> But that crowd? If we > >> build it, they will scorn. > >> > >> -R > >> > >> -- > >> "Is this a bagel?" > >> "It's the Guardian of Forever!" > >> "Well yes. But is it a bagel?" > >> --Overheard at Loscon 29 > >> _______________________________________________ > >> ERPS-list mailing list > >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >> http://lists.erps.org/mailman/listinfo/erps-list > >> > > > >_______________________________________________ > >ERPS-list mailing list > >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >http://lists.erps.org/mailman/listinfo/erps-list > > > > > >_______________________________________________ > >ERPS-list mailing list > >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >http://lists.erps.org/mailman/listinfo/erps-list > > --"Wherever you go, there you are." > _______________________________________________ > ERPS-list mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://lists.erps.org/mailman/listinfo/erps-list -- >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>----<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< ........ Alex Fraser N3DER ......... ......... [EMAIL PROTECTED] ....... [~]_>^</\-[~]_>^</\-[~]_>^</\-[~]_>^< _______________________________________________ ERPS-list mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.erps.org/mailman/listinfo/erps-list
