currently costs $10,000.00 per pound to get materials into space
Comparison

Distance: 150 miles

NASA
Cost: $10,000.00/lb
Schedule: 7/year

FedEx Express
Cost: 28.00/lb
Schedule: 2/day

The major disadvantage to manufacturing in space is cost.  Currently all space  bound vehicles are government owned.  Fee structures for sending materials into space are exorbitant and delivery service is both uncertain and infrequent.  

It costs approximately $20,000.00 per pound to send materials into space currently.  Although NASA's goal is to get the cost down to $100.00 per pound it is not likely that this will happen any time soon.

Scheduling also remains a problem.  The current shuttle fleet flies about 7 missions per year compared to a goal of once per week.  

Until NASA can decrease costs and increase performance, it is unlikely that anything but research will be performed in the area of microgravity manufacturing.


http://ffden-2.phys.uaf.edu/212_fall2003.web.dir/Kim_Phillips/page3.html
CONTEXT(Help)
-
Argumentation and Debate - 62242 »Argumentation and Debate - 62242
David Acosta  »David Acosta
Debate 1- nasa »Debate 1- nasa
Resolved: NASA's budget should be significantly increased. »Resolved: NASA's budget should be significantly increased.
Nasa's budget should NOT be increased »Nasa's budget should NOT be increased
Harms »Harms
Increasing space budget=increase in debt »Increasing space budget=increase in debt
currently costs $10,000.00 per pound to get materials into space
Cost of going into space is currently too high »Cost of going into space is currently too high
+Comments (0)
+Citations (0)
+About