The value of the 1st stage is what $20-$30 Million. The harbor wants to charge $15k to un-load it from the drone ship. Is this really a fight that SpaceX wants to have? Pay the damn fee and move onto more important things.
Quote from: Brovane on 06/21/2016 04:59 amThe value of the 1st stage is what $20-$30 Million. The harbor wants to charge $15k to un-load it from the drone ship. Is this really a fight that SpaceX wants to have? Pay the damn fee and move onto more important things. It's that same logic that keeps patent trolls in operation.Elon needs to hire Lee Cheng from Newegg.com.
Its also aerospace industry pricing logic that Elon has hammered against for years. Just because something is 'aerospace' doesn't magically make it need to cost 10 times more.The correct answer here is 'No' and giving in just invites more attempts to get shaken down. Now if the port can articulate what their additional security costs, then maybe SpaceX and the port can come to an arrangement, but 'just because' won't fly.
Quote from: yokem55 on 06/21/2016 05:39 amThe correct answer here is 'No' and giving in just invites more attempts to get shaken down. Now if the port can articulate what their additional security costs, then maybe SpaceX and the port can come to an arrangement, but 'just because' won't fly.The Port's reply is essentially "What is this convenient berth worth to you and your low-volume, high-value cargo?" and the negotiation continues from there.
The correct answer here is 'No' and giving in just invites more attempts to get shaken down. Now if the port can articulate what their additional security costs, then maybe SpaceX and the port can come to an arrangement, but 'just because' won't fly.
Quote from: Brovane on 06/21/2016 04:59 amThe value of the 1st stage is what $20-$30 Million. The harbor wants to charge $15k to un-load it from the drone ship. Is this really a fight that SpaceX wants to have? Pay the damn fee and move onto more important things. Wrong. It is in fact a fight worth fighting. If SpaceX decides to "just" pay the fee now, the port will be charging double next year. Greed is only stopped thru legal means.
If it is 14x what other users are charged, would you accept it as reasonable?There may be some extra issues with long loads (but not weight, that's absurd) and crane storage. But $15k each seems a little steep.
In other words, the $15k amounts to a 0.075% "import" tax.
Quote from: Kabloona on 06/21/2016 01:21 pmIn other words, the $15k amounts to a 0.075% "import" tax.Maybe, but it was only "exported" 8 minutes earlier!And would they charge this $15k for smoking debris like the SES-9 and Eutelsat/ABS stages?
Quote from: JamesH65 on 06/21/2016 12:56 pmIf it is 14x what other users are charged, would you accept it as reasonable?There may be some extra issues with long loads (but not weight, that's absurd) and crane storage. But $15k each seems a little steep.Let's say the stage is worth $20M to SpaceX. $15,000/$20,000,000=0.00075. In other words, the $15k amounts to a 0.075% "import" tax.A 0.075% tax? This is hardly Boston Tea Party material. They'll find some middle ground and move on.
You assume the fee the port wants to charge isn't reasonable.
quiet of their pleasant little back-water every time the barge comes home from the sea.
perhaps this will accelerate the plans to refuel and fly the stage back from the barge to land.
Quote from: Brovane on 06/21/2016 04:59 amThe value of the 1st stage is what $20-$30 Million. The harbor wants to charge $15k to un-load it from the drone ship. Is this really a fight that SpaceX wants to have? Pay the damn fee and move onto more important things. Seems like extortionate pricing if it's far higher than everyone else. If you pay Danegelt, you get more Danes...(I for one am glad the Danes switched from being Vikings to making the finest toy the world has ever known[1], but that's just me)<---- which I happen to own a little bit of 1 - LEGO, did you really need to ask???
Quote from: starsilk on 06/21/2016 02:49 pmperhaps this will accelerate the plans to refuel and fly the stage back from the barge to land.Because it would be a LOT CHEAPER to fly it back to land than $15k.Uh, no, wait......