Asri-unix.550 net.space utcsrgv!utzoo!decvax!ucbvax!menlo70!sri-unix!JoSH@RUTGERS Sat Jan 16 20:59:34 1982 Firms sign up to use less costly European rockets From: JoSH According to a news story (Gannet) under this title, three US companies, Western Union, Southern Pacific Comm., and GTE have signed up for a total of 5 satellites so far on the "mostly-French" Ariane. At $20 million a shot that comes to $100 million, instead of spending $125 to $135 million at NASA (which would have used McDonnell-Douglass Deltas). "Despite the shuttle's potential as an efficient cargo carrier into space, America's space transportation system could price itself out of the market by the end of the decade if--as expected--NASA raises its shuttle cargo rates due to escalating costs of the external tanks and solid rocket boosters." The story says the French completed the Ariane test flight program last month after four launches. The satellites are scheduled to go up in 83 and 84. --JoSH ------- ----------------------------------------------------------------- gopher://quux.org/ conversion by John Goerzen of http://communication.ucsd.edu/A-News/ This Usenet Oldnews Archive article may be copied and distributed freely, provided: 1. There is no money collected for the text(s) of the articles. 2. The following notice remains appended to each copy: The Usenet Oldnews Archive: Compilation Copyright (C) 1981, 1996 Bruce Jones, Henry Spencer, David Wiseman.