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A comment on 5G Just Got Weird. Parent comment

Re:5G Just Got Weird by dragonwriter on Sunday August 09, 2020 @03:10PM (#24102018)
> A fifth of the US population lives outside of big cities. That's not a big fraction, but it's a small fraction of a very big number. Being able to capture that market even for a decade would basically bankroll SpaceX's Mars goal by itself.

That's about 25 million households, or about $150 billion gross revenue (not profit) over a decade at the price assumptions you give.

If SpaceX’s public estimate of total Mars program cost of $10 billion was reasonable, that might plausibly fund the program. But it's highly dubious that that is even on the right order of magnitude.

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Re:5G Just Got Weird by FeepingCreature on Sunday August 09, 2020 @03:26PM (#24102151)
Eh, don't underestimate the savings from reuse that's actually practical and not cost-plus. I think SpaceX have demonstrated the economic case for their approach with the F9. And once SpaceX demonstrate they can put cargo on Mars, NASA'll have to get in. Plus people may actually pay to migrate. If you think those numbers are unrealistic, look at SpaceX's posted total costs for their rocket development programs. I think the message is more "every space agency has ridiculously overpaid for decades."
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Re:5G Just Got Weird by dragonwriter on Sunday August 09, 2020 @03:42PM (#24102275)
> Plus people may actually pay to migrate.

Sure, but “rich people's vanity may help finance the program” (and NASA will help finance the program, etc.) doesn’t anything to support “satellite internet will finance the program by itself”.

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Re:5G Just Got Weird by FeepingCreature on Sunday August 09, 2020 @04:52PM (#24102809)
No, I mean if cost is as stated. I'm saying cost as stated is plausible if you account that flights may be sold.
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