[Hyperspace05]

YellowSubmarine wrote:

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If they continue funding commercial companies, these companies might start producing cheap heavy launchers and threaten the future of the SLS workfare program. Now, we wouldn't want that to happen, would we?

sojourner wrote:

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^There is no business case for heavy launchers.

Perhaps, but SpaceX just announced the first contract for a commerical Falcon Heavy launch:

http://www.spacex.com/press.php?page=20120529

INTELSAT SIGNS FIRST COMMERCIAL FALCON HEAVY LAUNCH AGREEMENT WITH SPACEX

Washington, DC / Hawthorne, CA May 29, 2012 - Today, Intelsat, the world's leading provider of satellite services, and Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), the world's fastest growing space launch company, announced the first commercial contract for the Falcon Heavy rocket.
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This is the first commercial contract for SpaceX's Falcon Heavy launch vehicle. Under the agreement, an Intelsat satellite will be launched into geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO).