Getting Back Into Space (the Cheap Way)

[threegee]

This is what the government should be putting a few tens of millions into, and NOT pumping billions of our future earnings into feather-bedding the banks!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7862827.stm

It would save the country huge launch fees for civilian and military satellite launches, provide high tech British jobs, and encourage school leavers into science. Any one of those would justify the small government grant.

Huge mistake to cancel Britain's small space program back in the 1970's because some dumb civil servant decided there was no commercial purpose in it. We'd already spent the money and so been paying for that mistake ever since! Here's a chance to correct that mistake at a time when we really need those jobs. Put VAT back up to 17.5% to fund it in the short term (though Gordon seems to be able to conjure astronomic sums out of nowhere when he thinks he needs it). In the long term this investment will pay for itself many times over.

Does the government have that much common sense? Of course they don't; they'd rather splurge a couple of billion (probably ten times the amount of seed capital needed here) on trying to buy a few thousand dumb votes at a local election to prop up their evaporating power base!

[Monsta®]

nah it'll never take off! like the ill fated beagle 2 mission to mars

[threegee]

nah it'll never take off!

It HAS taken off!

http://www.scaled.com/

There are a thousand young British engineers waiting to prove that they can launch a commercial satellite with it. All that stands in their way is a government bankrupt of ideas (and in this particular case money too), and clinging on to power for their own sad ends. "It's the right thing to do" Gordon!

[Monsta®]

It HAS taken off!

http://www.scaled.com/

There are a thousand young British engineers waiting to prove that they can launch a commercial satellite with it. All that stands in their way is a government bankrupt of ideas (and in this particular case money too), and clinging on to power for their own sad ends. "It's the right thing to do" Gordon!

why should we pay for companies to put their satelites in space? gordon keep ya hands in your pockets!!!

[threegee]

why should we pay for companies to put their satelites in space?

Our satellites! 'Cos it's cheaper than paying the Americans or the Russians or the French, and it would provide British jobs when we need them. Not only that but we could show them how to do it properly, and earn the country some money at the same time. I don't think you've been paying attention at the back!

gordon keep ya hands in your pockets!!!

He can't, he's got them firmly in ours!

He only takes them out to give multi-billion handouts to fat-cat bankers so they can pay themselves bonuses for bankrupting the country (It's called not rewarding failure). How else do you think he's going to get a fat-cat job on a financial company board when he gets booted out spring next year, and his own party finally gets up the guts to ditch him?

[Monsta®]

NO what i mean is why should we the tax payer pay for companies such as bskyb for example to get there satelites in space? ok if its a weather satelite etc but if its for there own gain should they not be paying not us!

[threegee]

NO what i mean is why should we the tax payer pay for companies such as bskyb for example to get there satelites in space? ok if its a weather satelite etc but if its for there own gain should they not be paying not us!

They shouldn't! Never said that.

Developing a low-cost British launch capability can make money for the country, create jobs, and save the govt a packet on military satellite launches etc. Others are tied into high cost ground rocket based systems. We can turn the 1970's blunder around and do a much more cost effective job. It only needs a tiny bit of encouragement - a tiny tiny sum compared with what is being wasted on the 2012 Olympics, and with a lot longer term benefits.