New Attraction Simulates Shuttle Launch at 17,500 MPH

[AnimeSpirit]

You think that's a tax drain?

During the heat of the space race in the 1960's, NASA decided it needed a ball point pen to write in the zero gravity confines of its space capsules. After considerable research and development, the Astronaut Pen was developed at a cost of $1 million U.S. The pen worked and also enjoyed some modest success as a novelty item back here on earth.

The Soviet Union, faced with the same problem, used a pencil.

[LateNight]

Originally Posted by AnimeSpirit

You think that's a tax drain?

I don't know "who's" paying for it .. but it's a $60 million dollar amusement ride being built by the Kennedy Space Center.

[joepole]

That thing about the pen isn't true.

[Isaac-Saxxon]

Originally Posted by joepole

That thing about the pen isn't true.

Joe could you explain please I know this is right up your ally so I will have to go with what you post

[joepole]

Have you ever been to the Kennedy space Center? That place prints money. Let's amortize $60M over 15 years (a reasonable assumption of the ride's lifespan)

At 6% (reasonable rate for government bonds) that's around $575,000 per month to run it. Add in an extra $25K for staff and maintenace, you're looking at $600K a month=$7.2M a year. A quick googling tells me anywhere from 1.3 to 4 million people visit the KSC every year, so let's say 2M to be on the safe side.

Assume 25% (a nice, low figure) go on the new ride, that means if the tickets cost more than $14 you're making money. That's not even including additional merchandise or food/beverage sales, which are almost all profit.

[joepole]

Barbara explains it better than I can:

http://www.snopes.com/business/genius/spacepen.asp