QUOTE (pimpmaro @ Aug 30 2005, 17:08)
Well that's the cost by nasa's terms... what about alternative launch platforms? Something designed to offload waste wouldn't require anything in terms of crew safety, pressurization, climate control, etc etc.
The 10 grand per pound is for an satellite launch, not the Shuttle. The only other launchers are the French, Chinese and the Japanese, all who have event worse success rates that NASA.
People freak out over trains carrying the stuff because of a possible accident. If a rocket blows up, it would dump 20+ tons of the stuff spread over a 5 state area.