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Once you start losing a couple of 250 -750 million dollar payloads, your customer base will care. This isn't KSP.
by sslayer 11y ago
Once you start losing a couple of 250 -750 million dollar payloads, your customer base will care. This isn't KSP.
- ceejayoz 11y agoIf they're not time critical, chances are they don't care that much. They've got insurance on the launch and payload. It'd have to happen enough for the premiums to start going up.
- rory096 11y agoThe US government doesn't buy launch insurance.
- ceejayoz 11y agohttp://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2012/05/22/248566.htm http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2012/05/22/248566.... says NASA self-insures, and the CRS missions appear to carry commercial insurance http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2014/10/29/345363.htm http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2014/10/29/345...
- rory096 11y ago>NASA self-insures This just means they don't insure and instead absorb losses. AFAIK they don't even set aside a pool of money like corporate self-insurance tends to do. >CRS missions appear to carry commercial insurance This is to (partially) cover the losses to the commercial space companies, since NASA withholds money in the event of a failure. None of it covers the payload. (Actually at least in Orbital's case they get paid a portion of the CRS contract, since there's technically two milestones – ignition/liftoff and mission success. They lose out on the latter.[1]) [1] http://spacenews.com/42658orbital-sciences-entitled-to-partial-nasa-payment-for-antares-failure/ http://spacenews.com/42658orbital-sciences-entitled-to-parti...
- hydrogen18 11y agoThanks for bringing this up. This is a oft forgotten point as to why private space flight is so difficult in the US. Private ventures can't compete when the rules are set up so they've been kneecap'd from the start. Ironically, I can't drive my car without insurance but I can fly a plane without it.