Digital Fugue - Random Thots

Tsunami of Thots

My thoughts and condolences to those who were affested by the tsunami disaster.

On that lazy sunday afternoon, I received an SMS from a friend who was in Penang. It simply says "Sudden high tide hit penang. Beach flooded". I ignored the message thinking it was one of those end of the year torrential storm. Only later in the afternoon when I switched on the cable TV I realized what actualy happened. I tried calling my friend but the line was congested... even sms sent was not replied.

First in space

American Dennis Tito and South African Mark Shuttleworth paid USD 20 million (RM 76million) for a trip to space... (Shuttleworth sold his company, Thawte to verisign for USD 575million, i guess USD 20million for him is just peanuts)

Our space agency will also have to forkout that amount of money to send our Bolehnaut to space. Plus other related cost the figure could swell above RM100million. That is a lot of money to be spent, and a RM100million ammo for the opposition to blast the government.
But I am sure the government have put the figure in budget and I'm sure corporate sponsorship will be included as well. Of course the whole program will not be funded entirely by tax payer's money. I guess companies like Telekom Malaysia, Tenaga Nasional, Petronas etc. will have to include space sponsorship into their up coming budget.

Speaking about budget, the US's Space Flight Enterprise budget for 2004 is USD6.1billion (pdf, 256k).

Readings:
Interesting : First in space
Ponderings:
Affordable Space Flight
Orbital Space Plane
Rocket science stuff: Lowering the cost of space flight