3197: Cost Savings - Revision history

42.book.addict: /* Transcript */

2026-03-03T17:27:15Z

‎Transcript

2603:8080:D0F0:150:C06B:6101:A1D3:1F82: Transcript looks good, removed incomplete transcript notice.

2026-03-03T13:13:22Z

Transcript looks good, removed incomplete transcript notice.

Utdtutyabthsc: /* Explanation */ I don't know why this is still here. It doesn't give a reason that it's incomplete, and it's long and detailed enough to be considered complete.

2026-02-09T09:05:15Z

‎Explanation: I don't know why this is still here. It doesn't give a reason that it's incomplete, and it's long and detailed enough to be considered complete.

82.13.184.33: /* Explanation */

2026-01-27T09:35:26Z

‎Explanation

82.132.236.44: /* Explanation */ Inapt to mention NASA's inefficiency so far at those points (save for humoring Cueball with a meeting), so moved it off into the "post-success" period of any Cueball success.

2026-01-24T12:15:00Z

‎Explanation: Inapt to mention NASA's inefficiency so far at those points (save for humoring Cueball with a meeting), so moved it off into the "post-success" period of any Cueball success.

103.81.126.24: Added to the title text section, NEEDS IMPROVEMENT.

2026-01-24T02:47:56Z

Added to the title text section, NEEDS IMPROVEMENT.

Magtei: /* Explanation */

2026-01-24T01:16:57Z

‎Explanation

Magtei: /* Explanation */ How each reduction could make sense and how construction could be delayed

2026-01-24T01:15:52Z

‎Explanation: How each reduction could make sense and how construction could be delayed

82.132.245.89: /* Explanation */ That bit isn't. But the title text (as is said, in the bit about it down there) is.

2026-01-23T14:10:07Z

‎Explanation: That bit isn't. But the title text (as is said, in the bit about it down there) is.

82.13.184.33: /* Explanation */

2026-01-23T09:34:32Z

‎Explanation

@@ Line 24: / Line 24: @@
 ==Transcript==
-:[Cueball is standing in front of a framed graph on a wall, pointing at it with a short stick. The graph is a bar graph with steadily decreasing bar heights. Hairy and Megan, seated, are looking on from behind a desk.]
+:[Cueball is standing in front of a framed graph on a wall, demonstrating towards it with a pointer. The graph is a bar graph with steadily decreasing bar heights. Hairy and Megan, seated, are looking on from behind a desk.]
 :Cueball: By lowering the planned satellite orbit, we can reduce the size of the launch vehicle required.
 :Cueball: We can reduce costs further by eliminating the satellite entirely in favor of an aerial platform.

@@ Line 23: / Line 23: @@
 ==Transcript==
-{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
 :[Cueball is standing in front of a framed graph on a wall, pointing at it with a short stick. The graph is a bar graph with steadily decreasing bar heights. Hairy and Megan, seated, are looking on from behind a desk.]
 :Cueball: By lowering the planned satellite orbit, we can reduce the size of the launch vehicle required.

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:05, 9 February 2026
Line 10:		Line 10:

	==Explanation==		==Explanation==
−	~~{{incomplete\|This page was created by an OVER-BUDGET ORBITER. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}~~
	This comic depicts a ridiculous scheme, concocted by [[Cueball]], to dupe various representatives at NASA into doing a menial task for him. Specifically, he wants them to build an ordinary shed in his yard. The National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA) is not associated with {{w\|Spruce Goose\|hobbyist carpentry}} and certainly cannot be conventionally ordered to build a shed on a needy citizen's property.{{Citation needed}} Thus, Cueball tries to circumvent the expected barriers to this outcome by masking his true intentions with a long-winded cost-cutting presentation about a proposed satellite launch. Initially, it appears he is suggesting various ways to mitigate the cost/hassle of launching a satellite into orbit. This starts with a lower orbit, which requires less fuel to reach and can bring significant savings per the rocketry equation. Lower orbits can bring challenges due to satellite crowding and (in the extreme case) atmospheric drag.		This comic depicts a ridiculous scheme, concocted by [[Cueball]], to dupe various representatives at NASA into doing a menial task for him. Specifically, he wants them to build an ordinary shed in his yard. The National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA) is not associated with {{w\|Spruce Goose\|hobbyist carpentry}} and certainly cannot be conventionally ordered to build a shed on a needy citizen's property.{{Citation needed}} Thus, Cueball tries to circumvent the expected barriers to this outcome by masking his true intentions with a long-winded cost-cutting presentation about a proposed satellite launch. Initially, it appears he is suggesting various ways to mitigate the cost/hassle of launching a satellite into orbit. This starts with a lower orbit, which requires less fuel to reach and can bring significant savings per the rocketry equation. Lower orbits can bring challenges due to satellite crowding and (in the extreme case) atmospheric drag.

@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
 ==Explanation==
 {{incomplete|This page was created by an OVER-BUDGET ORBITER. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
-This comic depicts a ridiculous scheme, concocted by [[Cueball]], to dupe various representatives at NASA into doing a menial task for him; specifically, he wants them to build an ordinary shed in his yard. The National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA) is not associated with {{w|Spruce Goose|hobbyist carpentry}} and certainly cannot be conventionally ordered to build a shed on a needy citizen's property.{{Citation needed}} Thus, Cueball tries to circumvent the expected barriers to this outcome by masking his true intentions with a long-winded cost-cutting presentation about a proposed satellite launch. Initially, it appears he is suggesting various ways to mitigate the cost/hassle of launching a satellite into orbit. This starts with a lower orbit, which requires less fuel to reach and can bring significant savings per the rocketry equation. Lower orbits can bring challenges due to satellite crowding and (in the extreme case) atmospheric drag.
+This comic depicts a ridiculous scheme, concocted by [[Cueball]], to dupe various representatives at NASA into doing a menial task for him. Specifically, he wants them to build an ordinary shed in his yard. The National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA) is not associated with {{w|Spruce Goose|hobbyist carpentry}} and certainly cannot be conventionally ordered to build a shed on a needy citizen's property.{{Citation needed}} Thus, Cueball tries to circumvent the expected barriers to this outcome by masking his true intentions with a long-winded cost-cutting presentation about a proposed satellite launch. Initially, it appears he is suggesting various ways to mitigate the cost/hassle of launching a satellite into orbit. This starts with a lower orbit, which requires less fuel to reach and can bring significant savings per the rocketry equation. Lower orbits can bring challenges due to satellite crowding and (in the extreme case) atmospheric drag.
-Cueball soon suggests replacing the satellite with an  "aerial platform" (most likely a plane that flies around with the equipment, but weather balloons, blimps, or even helicopters might count). While any atmospheric flight will require some recurring effort to steer and/or repeatedly launch the vehicle, this can indeed cost less than a space launch and communication infrastructure needed to manage a satellite. The tradeoff is that an aerial platform cannot stay up for years like a satellite and cannot see as much of the surface at a given time.
+Cueball then suggests replacing the satellite with an "aerial platform" (most likely a plane that flies around with the equipment, but weather balloons, blimps, or even helicopters might count). While any atmospheric flight will require some recurring effort to steer and/or repeatedly launch the vehicle, this can cost less than a space launch and communication infrastructure needed to manage a satellite. The trade-off is that an aerial platform cannot stay up for years, like a satellite, and cannot see as much of the surface at a given time.
 Cueball then suggest reducing the monitoring payload by moving some equipment to a ground location that receives data from the mobile equipment. Such a change might allow the platform to be a drone or balloon, either of which could go further with less weight. Cueball's last, unfinished sentence might be continued as "Additional savings could be achieved by reusing available property instead of buying land. In fact, I have identified a property with room for a structure which would not require any expense apart from construction." Depending on Cueball's level of focus on cost reduction, the end of this reasoning might even lead to "Ditch the satellite idea and just build a shed in my yard".
-The title text expands on this theme by implying that Cueball has been attempting this scheme (which may have required extensive effort and connections needed to even be prepared to be seen by the NASA project team with the initial red-herring proposal) for long enough that it mirrors the setbacks a team would experience if they were actually intending to send a satellite into orbit. The {{w|Timeline of the James Webb Space Telescope|James Webb Telescope}} is one such mission which was very delayed, as already mentioned in prior comics, notably [[2014: JWST Delays]].
+The title text expands on this theme by implying that Cueball has been attempting this scheme (which may have required extensive effort and connections for the NASA project team to even hear the initial red-herring proposal) for long enough that it mirrors the setbacks a team would experience if they were actually intending to send a satellite into orbit. The {{w|Timeline of the James Webb Space Telescope|James Webb Telescope}} is one such mission which was very delayed, as already mentioned in prior comics, notably [[2014: JWST Delays]].
-By taking "over a decade longer than planned", the actual time taken to (not yet) achieve his goal is far longer than it would normally be expected to take to just build a shed without NASA's complicity, excepting perhaps some particularly intransigent {{w|Zoning in the United States|zoning laws}}. The actual delay is unknown but must have been significant. Likewise, the personal costs incurred by Cueball (at a minimum, time and travel) have probably far exceeded what most sheds (and their construction) require, even if the end-goal is a 'free' shed, paid for entirely by NASA.
+By taking "over a decade longer than planned", the actual time taken to (not yet) achieve his goal is far longer than would normally be expected to just build a shed without NASA's complicity, perhaps barring some particularly intransigent {{w|Zoning in the United States|zoning laws}}. The actual delay is unknown, but must have been significant. Likewise, the personal costs incurred by Cueball (at a minimum, time and travel) have probably far exceeded what most sheds (and their construction) require, even if the end-goal is a 'free' shed, paid for entirely by NASA.
-And this is only during the period that NASA ''hasn't'' signed up for the project, having probably committed no more than an hour or three of meeting time for its review board. There is a saying that "if you buy a hammer it costs 6 dollars, but if the US government buys a hammer it costs 600 dollars", highlighting the implied costs of extensive beuracracy. If NASA was ever interested enough to assign a budget, it would presumably be delayed by steps such as shed design, environmental review, contractor selection and team reallocation, sending the construction costs and timetable even further off.
+And this is only during the period that NASA ''hasn't'' signed up for the project, having probably committed no more than an hour or three of meeting time for its review board. There is a saying that "if you buy a hammer it costs 6 dollars, but if the US government buys a hammer it costs 600 dollars", highlighting the implied costs of extensive bureaucracy. If NASA was ever interested enough to assign a budget, it would presumably be delayed by steps such as shed design, environmental review, contractor selection and team reallocation, sending the construction costs and timetable even further off.
 ==Transcript==

@@ Line 17: / Line 17: @@
 Cueball then suggest reducing the monitoring payload by moving some equipment to a ground location that receives data from the mobile equipment. Such a change might allow the platform to be a drone or balloon, either of which could go further with less weight. Cueball's last, unfinished sentence might be continued as "Additional savings could be achieved by reusing available property instead of buying land. In fact, I have identified a property with room for a structure which would not require any expense apart from construction." Depending on Cueball's level of focus on cost reduction, the end of this reasoning might even lead to "Ditch the satellite idea and just build a shed in my yard".
-The title text expands on this theme by implying that Cueball has been attempting this scheme (which may have required extensive effort and connections needed to even be prepared to be seen by the NASA project team with the initial red-herring proposal) for long enough that it mirrors the setbacks a team would experience if they were actually intending to send a satellite into orbit. The {{w|Timeline of the James Webb Space Telescope|James Webb Telescope}} is one such mission which was very delayed, as already mentioned in prior comics, notably [[2014: JWST Delays]]. The mention of the project being "over budget" implies that NASA was interested enough to assign a budget, but has presumably been delayed by steps such as shed design, environmental review, contractor selection, construction costs, or team reallocation due to shifting priorities.
+The title text expands on this theme by implying that Cueball has been attempting this scheme (which may have required extensive effort and connections needed to even be prepared to be seen by the NASA project team with the initial red-herring proposal) for long enough that it mirrors the setbacks a team would experience if they were actually intending to send a satellite into orbit. The {{w|Timeline of the James Webb Space Telescope|James Webb Telescope}} is one such mission which was very delayed, as already mentioned in prior comics, notably [[2014: JWST Delays]].
 By taking "over a decade longer than planned", the actual time taken to (not yet) achieve his goal is far longer than it would normally be expected to take to just build a shed without NASA's complicity, excepting perhaps some particularly intransigent {{w|Zoning in the United States|zoning laws}}. The actual delay is unknown but must have been significant. Likewise, the personal costs incurred by Cueball (at a minimum, time and travel) have probably far exceeded what most sheds (and their construction) require, even if the end-goal is a 'free' shed, paid for entirely by NASA.
-This also mirrors a saying that "if you buy a hammer it costs 6 dollars, but if the US government buys a hammer it costs 600 dollars.", highlighting the costs of extensive beuracracy.
 ==Transcript==

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:47, 24 January 2026
Line 20:		Line 20:

	By taking "over a decade longer than planned", the actual time taken to (not yet) achieve his goal is far longer than it would normally be expected to take to just build a shed without NASA's complicity, excepting perhaps some particularly intransigent {{w\|Zoning in the United States\|zoning laws}}. The actual delay is unknown but must have been significant. Likewise, the personal costs incurred by Cueball (at a minimum, time and travel) have probably far exceeded what most sheds (and their construction) require, even if the end-goal is a 'free' shed, paid for entirely by NASA.		By taking "over a decade longer than planned", the actual time taken to (not yet) achieve his goal is far longer than it would normally be expected to take to just build a shed without NASA's complicity, excepting perhaps some particularly intransigent {{w\|Zoning in the United States\|zoning laws}}. The actual delay is unknown but must have been significant. Likewise, the personal costs incurred by Cueball (at a minimum, time and travel) have probably far exceeded what most sheds (and their construction) require, even if the end-goal is a 'free' shed, paid for entirely by NASA.
		+	This also mirrors a saying that "if you buy a hammer it costs 6 dollars, but if the US government buys a hammer it costs 600 dollars.", highlighting the costs of extensive beuracracy.

	==Transcript==		==Transcript==

@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
 ==Explanation==
 {{incomplete|This page was created by an OVER-BUDGET ORBITER. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
-This comic depicts a ridiculous scheme, concocted by [[Cueball]], to dupe various representatives at NASA into doing a menial task for him; specifically, he wants them to build an ordinary shed in his yard. The National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA) is not associated with {{w|Spruce Goose|hobbyist carpentry}} and certainly cannot be conventionally ordered to build a shed on a needy citizen's property.{{Citation needed}} Thus, Cueball tries to circumvent the expected barriers to this outcome by masking his true intentions in a long-winded cost-cutting presentation about a proposed satellite launch. Initially, it appears he is suggesting various ways to mitigate the cost/hassle of launching a satellite into orbit, but soon the suggestions become less about making the satellite's construction and launch more efficient and more about constructing a random structure on the ground, each one getting closer and closer to essentially saying "Ditch the satellite idea and just build a shed in my yard".
+This comic depicts a ridiculous scheme, concocted by [[Cueball]], to dupe various representatives at NASA into doing a menial task for him; specifically, he wants them to build an ordinary shed in his yard. The National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA) is not associated with {{w|Spruce Goose|hobbyist carpentry}} and certainly cannot be conventionally ordered to build a shed on a needy citizen's property.{{Citation needed}} Thus, Cueball tries to circumvent the expected barriers to this outcome by masking his true intentions in a long-winded cost-cutting presentation about a proposed satellite launch. Initially, it appears he is suggesting various ways to mitigate the cost/hassle of launching a satellite into orbit, but soon the suggestions become less about making the satellite's construction and launch more efficient and more about constructing a random structure on the ground, each one getting closer and closer to essentially saying "Ditch the satellite idea and just build a shed in my yard". This is a reference to the many project delays, increased expenses, and cutbacks that can arise during the process of launching a space mission.
-The title text is a humorous reference to the many, many project delays, increased expenses, and cutbacks that can arise during the process of launching a space mission. It implies that Cueball has been attempting this scheme (which may have required the extensive effort and connections needed to even be prepared to be seen by the NASA project team with the initial red-herring proposal) for long enough that it mirrors the setbacks a team would experience if they were actually intending to send a satellite into orbit. The {{w|Timeline of the James Webb Space Telescope|James Webb Telescope}} is one such mission which was very delayed, as already mentioned in prior comics, notably [[2014: JWST Delays]].
+The title text expands on this theme by implying that Cueball has been attempting this scheme (which may have required the extensive effort and connections needed to even be prepared to be seen by the NASA project team with the initial red-herring proposal) for long enough that it mirrors the setbacks a team would experience if they were actually intending to send a satellite into orbit. The {{w|Timeline of the James Webb Space Telescope|James Webb Telescope}} is one such mission which was very delayed, as already mentioned in prior comics, notably [[2014: JWST Delays]].
-By taking "over a decade longer than planned", the actual time taken to (not yet) achieve his goal is far longer than it would normally be expected to take to just build a shed without NASA's complicity, excepting perhaps some particularly intransigent {{w|Zoning in the United States|zoning laws}}, and how much more longer he has actually taken (i.e. the length of the originally planned timeline) is unknown but must have been significant. Likewise, the costs incurred by Cueball has probably far exceeded what most sheds (and their construction) require, even if the end-goal is a 'free' shed paid for entirely by NASA.
+By taking "over a decade longer than planned", the actual time taken to (not yet) achieve his goal is far longer than it would normally be expected to take to just build a shed without NASA's complicity, excepting perhaps some particularly intransigent {{w|Zoning in the United States|zoning laws}}, and how much more longer he has actually taken (i.e. the length of the originally planned timeline) is unknown but must have been significant. Likewise, the costs incurred by Cueball have probably far exceeded what most sheds (and their construction) require, even if the end-goal is a 'free' shed, paid for entirely by NASA.
 ==Transcript==