RE: starship-design: FW: SSRT: Space Access Update no. 77 (fwd)

["L. Parker" <lparker@cacaphony.net>]

On Sunday, October 19, 1997 11:24 AM, KellySt@aol.com 
[SMTP:KellySt@aol.com] wrote:
>
> >stories this issue:
> >
> > - Air Force "Spaceplane" Startup Funding Line-Item Vetoed
>
>
> AAAAAHHHHH!!
>
> Just what we need, a DOD exec who wants to keep space access expensive
> and
> rare for reasons of national security!
>
> Kelly

Kelly,

Unfortunately, it is likely to backfire in his face instead. As the update 
intimated, it would be just too bad if everyone BUT the U.S. military had 
cheap, quick access to space. Let's see, some two bit backwater country 
highjacks a British Airways orbital cargo flight after sneaking a small (10 
megatons or so) nuclear device aboard. After threatening Washington D.C. 
with total annihilation if we don't pay them 100 billion or so we have to 
"ask" for help from the British SAS since we declined to invest the money 
to build our own military surface to orbit strike capability. Gee, how 
embarrassing...


Lee Parker