2. MINIMISING COSTS & SCHEDULE The objective of any technology demonstration should be to obtain the required information at the minimum cost and in the shortest period of time. The rationale being that it minimises the initial up-front investment and commitment, enabling greater funds to be allocated sooner to more ambitious follow-on activities. An inexpensive Powersat demonstrator is not a substitute for more advanced and expensive undertakings, but rather an initial riskreducing step toward them. Equally importantly, should the Powersat concept not live up to expectations, the money lost on an inexpensive demonstrator will not be severe. Indeed, it might not be considered a loss at all if the demonstrator is used to as a test-bed for technology requiring spaceflight experience. By contrast, spending 'hundreds of millions” of AUs on the first demonstrator would be an investment that would almost certainly demand a substantial pay-off. Further, the need to "guarantee success” will further feed back into the demonstrator program, pushing costs higher and lengthening the programme schedule. Given the uncertainty over the Powersat concept, borne out of a lack of flight test experience, proposing the construction of a high-cost initial demonstrator would not be pragmatic. There are a number of ways to ensure costs can be minimised. These include the following: Mission Requirements • The demonstrator must be able to provide data useful in developing the necessary technology-base and flight experience for follow-on activities. In this sense, the demonstrator’s mission should be
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