Comments on: ESA buys the first Ariane 6 launches https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/esa-buys-the-first-ariane-6-launches/ Sat, 16 Sep 2017 22:13:29 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 By: Edward https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/esa-buys-the-first-ariane-6-launches/#comment-1011882 Sat, 16 Sep 2017 22:13:29 +0000 http://behindtheblack.com/?p=47677#comment-1011882 Robert,
I took the phrase, “I am willing to bet” to mean that there is some room for doubt.

(By the way, I also noticed the missing letter, but I understood the meaning. I think that we understand that we all occasionally mess up our spellling, the grammar, and our punctuation too, but we usually manage to make ourselves understood.)

]]> By: Robert Zimmerman https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/esa-buys-the-first-ariane-6-launches/#comment-1011808 Sat, 16 Sep 2017 04:18:07 +0000 http://behindtheblack.com/?p=47677#comment-1011808 In reply to wayne.

Wayne: Yup, there was a letter missing, the “t” for “bet.” Now fixed.

As I said, someone always notices. Thank you.

]]> By: wayne https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/esa-buys-the-first-ariane-6-launches/#comment-1011806 Sat, 16 Sep 2017 02:01:07 +0000 http://behindtheblack.com/?p=47677#comment-1011806 Mr. Z.–
– hate to be picky, but we have a missing letter lost in the machinery.
“Essentially, I am willing to be that this contract award is a bit of crony capitalism,…”

Your willing to bet….

Edward–
These Europeans…. they literally invented the phrase “crony capitalism!”

]]> By: Robert Zimmerman https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/esa-buys-the-first-ariane-6-launches/#comment-1011803 Sat, 16 Sep 2017 01:31:34 +0000 http://behindtheblack.com/?p=47677#comment-1011803 In reply to Edward.

Edward: Since I specifically labelled this crony capitalism in my post, I think I was pretty clear that I agree with you. :)

]]> By: Edward https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/esa-buys-the-first-ariane-6-launches/#comment-1011798 Sat, 16 Sep 2017 00:48:38 +0000 http://behindtheblack.com/?p=47677#comment-1011798 Robert,
Isn’t a government mandate of the use of a specific company’s product the very definition of crony capitalism?

With such a mandate in place, the company can charge the victim of the mandate anything that it can get away with and still get contracts for launch (all the traffic will bear). If Arianespace charges too much then there won’t be enough leftover funding to build the satellites and probes that are to be launched, but if they charge too little then the commercial customers will have to pay more — perhaps more than a SpaceX (or Blue Origin) launch.

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