Re: (3317) Re: Starship Passengers and...

[email removed] (Richard Johnson) writes:
> Subject: (3317) Re: Starship Passengers and...
>
> ... and even more on trade and commerce.
>
> Rob Dean asks about Mike Surman's observation that space flight costs so
> damn much.
>
> :What do you need to maintain life in space?  Food (cheap), air (cheaper),
> :water (cheap), power (lots of it on a ship), specialized equipment (already
> :included in the cost of the ship--extended life support isn't real cheap,
> :plus we pay annual maintenance on it.)
>
> Well, if I were running a little passenger line between say Efate and
> Bounghe, or some such, I'd also throw in:
>
>    salaries of people aboard
>    dead-head space (passengers who won't be there for a return flight)
>    routine bribes
>    PROFIT  (double all yer expenses...)

In fact, all of these costs _are_ already included in the system.  (Well, OK,
bribes would have to implemented by the GM, but that's no big deal.)  My
objection is to paying Cr2000 per occupied stateroom, _just for the life
support costs_, according to the rules.  A little extrapolation at those sorts
of rates would probably be interesting when applied to something like a current
SSBN, which may remain cruising submerged for a couple of months.

Rob Dean