[Poohbah]

Well I don't know how to break it to you, but $15 million is the price tag for replacing the unit. Now there's a win/win. Care to guess how much money this delay will cost the good old taxpayer. I'm sure you've got the bucks to cover it.

Airplanes break. Sometimes they break at inconvenient moments. And Helios wouldn't have been repairable if it came down over land--something this lightweight just falls apart if one component fails.

So, no matter what, you're out $15 million.

[DoughtyOne]

Perhaps you're right. I would suspect it might cost $15 million to replace it, since R&D played into that figure. Still, new ideas might be incorporated in the replacement, which 'could' drive the cost up again.

I'll bet NASA almost goes into shock with every new negative announcement these days.