In a recent issue of LAUNCHSPACE Magazine, Rick Fleeter writes that
there may be too many constraints to lowering the cost of space
hardware.
I wonder how others feel?
- Arthur Schnitt
Yes, at this time I feel the US aerospace industry is being asked to
design to other constraints than cost. (I assume you were referring to
the August 1996 issue of Launchspace.) I do not feel that Dr. Fleeter's
point was simply that the industry labors under too many constraints to
embrace minimum cost design but rather that it optimizes for other
things
(like minimum weigth, as you have stated). He stated examples of
optimizing
for political, mission and technology exploration reasons. He went on
to
state that MCD will happen when conditions favor it. I feel that true
MCD
of a space transport system will not occur until there are several
transport
suppliers out there selling by the pound (lots of customers would help
too). The quickest way to do this would be to require the government to
purchase transport rather than build it. This is, of course, unworkable
for a large number of reasons. In the end view, I feel that MCD is best
seen as one tool in an engineers tool kit. After all I complain
continuously
about how large a percentage of my salary is devoted to personal
transport
(i.e. my car) but I bought a Corvette over an econocar. P.S. I've
enjoyed
reading your column and will continue to do so. Hopefully the
"econiche"
for MCD of space transport systems will be created soon.
- Jason Quinn