Re:James Webb is fully deployed
by WalterBright on Saturday January 08, 2022 @08:37PM
(#29858887)
Another poster here remarked that spares would be made. That would indicate the cost of doing so isn't that remarkable.
[ Parent
| on HN ]
Lots of engineering models. Some spare parts for parts of assemblies.
Not a lot of complete, flight-capable assemblies.
I'm actually teaching a bunch of high school students to make a cubesat right now, and we are going through costing of:
* Prototypes -> protoflight -> flight, no engineering model
* "Flatsat" electronic engineering model, prototypes -> protoflight -> flight
* Prototypes -> qualification article -> flight article, + "flatsat"
* Prototypes -> qualification article -> flight article + ground engineering model
There's a whole lot of derisk that happens as you go down that list, but the cost and labor increase (the latter is "free" for us but also limited) is substantial.