Bob Noel wrote:

In article ,
Matt Whiting wrote:


Even if I used GPS for my bugsmasher, the cost to provide
regular ol' SPS GPS for my use is still zero.

How do you see that? Somebody has to pay for the satellites. Sure the
military needs them anyway,


Exactly. we already paid for the satellites. And nothing on the GPS SV's
is there for me. Everything is there to meet military requirements. This
isn't like the Shuttle where NASA paid big bucks to add military-specific
capabilities which meant lotsa extra weight so that every single launch
costs extra money to haul the the extra weight into orbit.

They have to be replaced periodically and monitored by folks on the
ground. There are onging operational costs. If the military isn't the
sole user, it shouldn't be the sole payer. All users should be
supporting the system. If this was the case, then folks that don't use
GPS wouldn't be taxed as heavily to support the military and thus
subsidizing those of us who do use the system. That is the essential
point. Aviation is very heavily subsidized and folks who argue it isn't
are deluding themselves.



but if this was all private enterprise, then
you'd pay for your fair share of the use.


Well, the GPS SV's aren't private enterprise.

Right, and that is why our use of it is subsidized by general revenue to
the defense department.


Matt