General (Rocket) Motors

The Space Review ^ | 08/29/05 | Sam Dinkin

[KevinDavis]

GMAC (formerly known as General Motors Acceptance Corporation) is worth about $15–20 billion according to one article. With GM trading at a market capitalization of $19 billion it might be time to break it up. At $420 per member, its health insurance plan alone is worth $450 million if it were sold. Overall, the top 18 carmakers sold $1.4 trillion worth of stuff last year, which is about two and a half percent of the world economy.

Where is the money going to be in the new world of discount rocket flight? Financing would be a good bet. What about insurance? Drivers in the US pay an average of $871 per year on insurance. With almost everyone over 16 years old a driver, that is about 80% of the US population, or revenue of $200 billion a year. Annual global oil consumption is about 80 million barrels a day, or $1.9 trillion a year, with gasoline accounting for about 44% of that.

[KevinDavis]

It looks like the fincial arm of GM is going to be involved, however, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, PLEASE DON'T LET GM BUILD ANY SPACESHIPS!!!

[KevinDavis]

[TheBattman]

GMAC is STILL known as General Motors Acceptance Corp. Just check out their letterhead and contracts.

[KevinDavis]

Ok....

[Oldexpat]

I just hope that if they sell GMAC that they use that money to fund their pension and medical plan. Otherwise..it will just be a rip off of the employees and taxpayers.

[KevinDavis]

That is true..

[RockinRight]

If GM built spaceships:

-They would use technology 20 years behind the competition
-The rockets would look cool but not always have enough power to escape the Earth's gravity
-Old men would drive them and leave the turn signal on for hours
-The best spaceships would actually be built by someone else
-As the ship launches...various parts would rattle off the body

[TheBattman]

Just pointing out the poor writing of the original article.... so many in the media just blurt out something - and are so often wrong..... It shows in the details.

[okie01]

Just pointing out the poor writing of the original article.... so many in the media just blurt out something - and are so often wrong..... It shows in the details.

As anybody who has ever been involved in an event that warranted a "news" story can attest.

Somehow, someway, they never get it quite right.

[sit-rep]

I was reading an article once where a few companies were toying with the idea of nuclear bombs as propulsion. actually sending out small bombs behind the craft, and when the bomb exploded, set acceleration to that almost the detonation rate of the bomb...interesting it was...

[RadioAstronomer]

I was reading an article once where a few companies were toying with the idea of nuclear bombs as propulsion. actually sending out small bombs behind the craft, and when the bomb exploded, set acceleration to that almost the detonation rate of the bomb...interesting it was...

Called project Orion. Interesting idea, but we will not see it done IMHO.

[sit-rep]

Nor mine.

Thinking about it though...what kinda speeds do you think they could achieve? What is the detonation rate of a nuke?

[RadioAstronomer]

The velocity of the high energy particles from the detonations would be close to the speed of light. Impacting the "plate" at the bottom of the rocket would in theory impart a high velocity eventually.

However, NERVA, VASIMR, ion, or the like is a much better choice. Just my two cents.

[sit-rep]

Just my two cents.

I'll say it's worth two bits...hows that?

With out takin' over the subject line on this guys thread, post a link, or email me a link on NERVA, VASIMR, ion prpulsion...When you get the time.

SR

[RadioAstronomer]

Here ya go: :-)

http://www.engin.swarthmore.edu/~tcronin1/VASIMR.htm

http://grin.hq.nasa.gov/ABSTRACTS/GPN-2002-000144.html (NERVA)

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast15jun_1.htm (Ion engines)

[Young Werther]

Commercialize Space?

How do we convince GM, or any company for that matter, to invest in Space? One solution that I've proposed to our Congress Critters is a 125% tax credit for all capital and operating expenses directly invested in Space Equipment and ongoing expense.

This would encourage FEDEX to buy and operate the interorbit tug. Global Van Lines would see its logo on the "truck" that hauls cargo between the ISS and Lunar colony.

I wish that the Earth to low Earth orbit vehicle would have the Pan Am logo a la 2001 but the space station could be a Hilton Hotel although Bigelow would rather it be a Budget Suites!

Bu supplanting NASA and the Federales as the primary funding source the sky is not the limit!!!

[Ramcat]

If GM built spaceships:

I own two GM (GMC truck & Saturn) products and one Volvo.
When a rare problem occurs with my GM's just about any skilled mechanic can diagnose and repair with reasonably priced parts.
A problem with the Volvo usually means leaving the car at the dealer where they rarely get it right the first visit. Parts are similar to spaceship parts in price.
If GM built a spaceship, I'd volunteer for a seat on the first flight.

[RockinRight]

In comparison to a Volvo, you're right.

[Ramcat]

Don't believe all the bad press that GM gets. Just look around. Do you see many vintage Toyota's or Nissan's around?
They've all rusted out. Many old American cars still are functional daily drivers.
If you lease or buy a new car every two years it doesn't matter what you own. Probably something foreign will have a better resale value.
If you plan to keep the vehicle, GM and Ford are very good values.

[Old Student]

"However, NERVA, VASIMR, ion, or the like is a much better choice. Just my two cents."

Depends on how much stuff you need to lift into LEO at one time. See Niven & Pournelle's "Footfall" for a good popular description of what it would be like, and a pretty good reason why we might want to do something like that...