SpaceDev Auctioning Microsatellite Mission On Ebay

physicsnerd writes "SpaceDev has announced that they are auctioning a Microsatellite Mission on Ebay. From the SpaceDev Press Release: "Most earth orbiting small satellite missions can cost $25 million or more, not including the launch. To demonstrate the affordability of private space missions, SpaceDev has posted a "Buy it Now" price of $9.5 million which includes an insured launch and on-orbit insurance. The high bidder will win a spacecraft based on SpaceDev's Maneuvering and orbit Transfer Vehicle (MTV(TM)).""

EBay Commission

[HoxBox]

Man EBay Commission is going to be $$$$$$$$$$$$ on this one....

Re:EBay Commission

[rosewood]

Which brings me to my question of WHY THE FUCK WOULD YOU PUT THIS ON EBAY?

If you stand to make 9mil, could you at least host it yourself? FFS!

Re:EBay Commission

[Carnildo]

Free publicity. There are people who look for weird things being auctioned on ebay. If they hosted it themselves, they'd also need to do the publicizing themselves.

Re:EBay Commission

[MarkGriz]

My guess is that having it posted on Slashdot will probably give them plenty of free publicity too, without having to pay Ebay an insane commission.

Re:EBay Commission

[sketerpot]

But if it weren't on ebay, would it still be on slashdot?

Re:EBay Commission

[Satan Dumpling]

I don't know.... I don't usually buy from sellers with zero feedback....

wow

[Breakfast Pants]

time to "spy on teh neighbors." yes, "teh neighbors."

I bet that waiting 20 seconds to post..

[Aliencow]

Feels a bit like watching a webcam from space..

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:Affordability?

[jason0000042]

9.5 million is affordable? For whom?!

I'm just guessing, but probably to people who would otherwise spend >$25 million for a launch.

Re:Affordability?

[MrResistor]

I don't know about you, but I know what's going on the top of MY christmas list. Hell, at that price, I might get two!

Re:Affordability?

[Sebastopol]

Pffff, my squeeze would buy it for me in a heartbeat if I ask nicely. Did I mention I'm dating Paris Hilton?

Re:Affordability?

[Cujo]

9.5 Million is durn cheap for a space mission. Big commmunications satellites, for example, run about $200 millions to build and launch. A cheap NASA-managed mission runs around 50 million$ or more - although SpaceDev recently did one for much cheaper based on the PI model (minimal NASA involvement), in which UC Berkeley managed the mission.

Re:Affordability?

[SETIGuy]

UC berkley has a command and control center?

Yes, we do. [berkeley.edu]

I can't tell you about the secret launch facility or the antimatter weapons. Soon all your base are belong to hippies.

Us

[griblik]

I reckon there's got to be in the region of a million slashdotters here. We chuck in 20 USD each, and we've got us an orbiting camera.

Now, I can see this going one of two ways:

1) Hey, look, there's Ashcroft edging the yard! Who's your privacy daddy now, huh?

2) Hey, there's Natalie Portman in a bikini! Who's got the zoom?

I'm up for it. Who's with me?

Re: Us

[Geek of Tech]

Sure.... send you $9.50 now and gain later... yeah.... Nigerian scam.... but wait.... this is from out space.... Would it be a space scam... or a satillite scam.... Now where did I leave my tinfoil hat....

Re:Affordability?

[Gherald]

> 9.5 million is affordable? For whom?!

The X-prize winner.

That's great

[xintegerx]

But what are their plans for humans into space? When they can do that, it will be the commercial first post for humans in space!

Money for nothing?

[sulli]

I want my
I want my
I want my (MTV(TM))

Question for SpaceDev

[Ichijo]

How many missiles will it hold?

Re:Question for SpaceDev

[Carnildo]

20kg worth of missiles.

Re:Question for SpaceDev

[snake_dad]

So no chance of fitting Lance Bass in there?

It's a shame...

[Anonymous Coward]

It's a shame Ebay had to pay $25 million, the price that most such launches cost, for using the "Buy it Now" feature without owning the patent.

This proves it

[seinman]

You really can get anything on ebay.

Re:This proves it

[NanoGator]

"You really can get anything on ebay."

Hey look! D_EvilBuahhahaha1969's latest bid is up to one million dollars!

Re:This proves it

[saskboy]

"You really can get anything on ebay."

Not to be picky, but I've known that for a while now, ever since selling that use toothpaste tube and brush.

Sorry, can't bid on that

[AnnCoulterTroll]

User spacedev has 0 feedback and wants over 9 million for his item. He won't see me bidding on this.

Sensible bidders, here we come

[caluml]

I think they're going to get a few sensible bids due to Slashdot bringing this to everyones attention.

Re:Sensible bidders, here we come

[saskboy]

Because you don't even put your auctions in a sig file.

Hint Hint ;-)

Anyone got a space laser cheap?

[cyberlotnet]

Want to buy.. Refurbished space laser to be launched into space on cheap rocket for undisclosed use.

Re:Anyone got a space laser cheap?

[PhoenixK7]

I've actually got one right here!

Like new! In original packaging! Never been used!

Buy It Now! for only 250,000! 15% due within 24 hrs, rest within 1 week. Shipping and handling at buyer's expense.

Re:Anyone got a space laser cheap?

[ducomputergeek]

as many good chocies...and reasonable prices... [villainsupply.com]

Get it right..

[adeyadey]

Low Earth Orbit shark with laser..

Re:I hate to break it to you, but read the fine pr

[Geek of Tech]

Maybe we could just put a 45lb, retractable sign on it that says "Mostly Harmless".

Once again

[Cyberglich]

Once again proof positive you can buy ANYTHING on ebay.

Well...

[methangel]

Most geeks can't afford something like this -- but terrorists can. I wonder what the shipping is to Iraq or Afghanistan.

Is Paypal accepted?

Hmm.

Re:Well...

[protohiro1]

Why would they want to? If they REALLY want satallite imaging they could get better images from space imaging for less.

Think before you post....

[frodo from middle ea]

I don't think anyone would have a problem shipping a satellite to iraq or afghanisthan, after all where would they launch it from and using what fuel?

Its not like iraq has billions of $$ worth of fuel, oh wait, ..nevermind.

Re:Well...

[JoshG]

If you read the fine print:

This mission, payload and its high bidder must comply with all appropriate regulations including but not limited to the United States Department of State International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and export-related regulations. This includes but is not limited to restrictions on residency and transfer of technology outside of the United States.

Re:Well...

[wronkiew]

The auction clearly lists State Department ITAR approval as a prerequisite for winning. The same policy that is killing the US launch industry now protects you from terrorists wielding microsatellites that they bought on eBay.

Re:Well...

[RevAaron]

I'm totally ignorant of ITAR and it's implications, and I therefore ask: how is it killing the US launch industry?

Re:Well...

[/dev/trash]

I think it's a honeypot put in place by the evil overlords!

It was a joke

[Augusto]

Maybe we need a "no sense of humor" rule instead.

Watching my $9.5M burn?

[klasikahl]

From the article:
Thousands may be able to witness your satellite returning from space in the form of a shooting star, a fireball that burns up in Earth's atmosphere!

Now you can have your satellite burn up just like all that money! How cute!

Re:Watching my $9.5M burn?

[caluml]

Yeah, they're not really selling it very well, are they?
People may be able to watch your $9.5 million burning up in the sky - and that's if you're lucky! Maybe it will be cloudy, or raining, or maybe it will fall into the Pacific with nothing more than a little plop-hisssssss, giving a local whale a headache.

This could be great!

[nizo]

From the ebay listing:
This offered mission will include, but will not be limited to:

* Mission Design
* Satellite Design
* Satellite Construction
* Satellite Testing
* Payload integration into satellite
* Satellite integration into launch vehicle
* Launch of satellite
* Command and control of satellite
* De-orbiting of satellite

I get to pick the payload, but do I also get to pick where it will land? Redmond, here I come!!!!

Re:This could be great!

[pbox]

Ashcroft is clearly gay. He might have a mister, but no mistress. He can't even stand looking at the boobs, so had them covered for just a few $100Ks of taxpayer money.

technology priorities

[mblase]

They can send a payload into space for under $10 million, but they still can't fix their crappy home page design [spacedev.com]?

Hmm.

[JKConsult]

That's funny. Mozilla 1.4 opens it just fine. And personally, I don't think it's that bad. I've seen much, much worse from commercial websites. Though with your witty "winblows" statement, I'm probably wasting my time.

video game

[anaphora]

As luck would have it, my kids would probably get the controls and send it crashing into china, then run screaming "DADDY, WE WON!"

Re:video game

[arcanumas]

I hope the games your kids play do not have Greece anywhere there... or i won't sleep calm at nights..

How'd they earn their right to Buy It Now selling?

[ivi]

I seem to recall that eBay restricts Buy It Now
selling to those who've sold heaps with positive
feedbacks (mostly).

Have these guys been selling heaps of extremely
small items to earn their place on eBay's lift
of Buy It Now vendors, or what?

Re:How'd they earn their right to Buy It Now selli

[anaphora]

They are probably ID Verified. Costs a whole five bucks, and you get access to everything.

Re:How'd they earn their right to Buy It Now selli

[malfunct]

Last I checked anyone could sell an item as a buy it now item with only a small extra charge for the listing.

Maybe you are thinking of an Ebay store or one of the other special programs they provide for high volumn venders.

Re:How'd they earn their right to Buy It Now selli

[ljavelin]

I've sold two things on Ebay - total value about $20.. and I can use Buy It Now.

I guess you're wrong.

pah

[freedommatters]

i can see it now, i'll place my bid and 2 seconds before the auction ends some geek will up the bid by 5 cents using some fancy auto-bid software and my plans for world domination will be foiled. again. if it wasn't for those pesky kids blah blah john ashcroft yada yada oil oil oil

Sorry, but...

[mblase]

I would have bid, but I make it a policy not to bid on auctions from sellers with zero feedback. You never know who you're buying from these days.

Nah thanks, I got better uses for my money

[Tin Foil Hat]

For your 9 1/2 mil you get to buy up to a year's worth of time on the satellite (which hasn't even been designed yet, btw). After 60 days you can sublet your time to defray cost.

From the article:"...qualified people around the world would be able to purchase time slots on your satellite for a fee, and you would receive revenues from those sales.** With enough purchases, over a long mission life, you might have the opportunity to make some or all of your money back."

Sounds like a hell of a deal to me.

Oh good...

[MoeMoe]

So when will our friend Lance Bass be leaving?

lunch or launch?

[Dreadlord]

... not including the launch ...
for the very first moment I thought it was lunch and wondered how would someone buy a space travel without lunch anyways, and how lunch is supposed to make a 9.5 m$ trip even more expensive, I guess it's time for a nap after hours of programming...

OFFTOPIC

[BHearsum]

Am I the only one who finds the new vertical ads to be insanely annoying?

Re:OFFTOPIC

[natefanaro]

It's an effective way to annoy you to pay. I don't like them either.

Re:OFFTOPIC

[jeeryg_flashaccess]

You are not alone. I thought my browser was rending the page wrong...cause I had just deleted my cookies, not logged in and it was normal...then all of a sudden after logging in with my user account there were vertical adds. It took me a few minutes to determine that INDEED it was a layout change. UGLY, and anoying.

I guess i'm just used to the horizontal adds. Seriously...if Slashdot goes the way of gamespy networks...or even the "click here to read your story" with a huge ass advertisement like a game

Re:OFFTOPIC

[BHearsum]

The problem is that it pushes the right sidebar content down WAY too far. If it was a small, square ad -- like the size of the topic icons in the top right I could deal with it. But when they push the poll and old news a page down it gets highly annoying. I dunno how much longer I can read /. like this -- espcially since 90% of the time I refresh I get a vertical ad.

Re:OFFTOPIC

[Don'tTreadOnMe]

Vertical ads?

Solution

[crow]

Use Proxy Auto Configuration [schooner.com] to block ads. It's essentially a clever trick to incorporate the equivalent of JunkBuster into your browser. The idea is that any URL that matches the selection criteria is routed to a proxy that returns 1x1 transparent gifs for all requests.

I use it, and don't see ads anywhere. Because it can look at the entire URL, you can block ads from a given subdirectory without killing off the entire site. You can also block web-tracking images.

Re:OFFTOPIC

[evanbd]

Yes. I use mozilla firebird with the adblock plugin; if you use adblock to remove the adds, you don't even get a big placeholder.

Re:OFFTOPIC

[/dev/trash]

What vertical ads? Are you using Mozilla?

Re:OFFTOPIC

[BHearsum]

Firebird, yes.

Re:OFFTOPIC

[/dev/trash]

Hmmmm. I'm using the 20031028 Build of Mozilla and I dont see any vertical ads.

Re:OFFTOPIC

[BHearsum]

That doesn't solve the ugly rendering problem. There will still be an imageholder there, whether the image is loaded or not.

I know the mission....

[holzp]

The high bidder will win a spacecraft based on SpaceDev's Maneuvering and orbit Transfer Vehicle (MTV(TM)).""

If it is based on MTV its mission will go from finding stars to creating it's own instead!

put it on sale!

[bluefairee]

come on people. think! we all know that if they were selling the thing for 9.99mill they'd already have a buyer. it is a proven fact that when .99 is attached to any number people will sell their sister's panties to get it.

Beastie Boys!

[FrostedWheat]

Hmmm... I could have swore these [ebayimg.com] people where at my door trick-or-treat'ing on halloween!

I would send....

[vchoy]

Do you have a payload that you would like to put in orbit around the Earth?
...Yes my one meter tall Plush Tux Penguin [everythinglinux.com.au]

If they could launch something into space towards the sun I would nominate my Microsoft and SCO Operating system licenses..."Burn baby burn"...

Mastercard jig: "Not Priceless...bid starts at only $250000 on ebay"

Al Queda is bidding

[Teahouse]

Imagine the fun of crashing your own personal satellite at oribital velocities into a major American city. Imagine the fun you and your towel-wearing friends could have by watching the panic as Americans everywhere worry about death from above, even though it would likely burn up in the atmosphere. Call your local madras-supporting sheik today and ask for the money! Your own orbital death-star is waiting.

Re:Al Queda is bidding

[Baron_Yam]

That's actually an interesting senario, the bigot 'towel' remarks notwithstanding. Thor's Hammer, right? Orbital crowbars. Instead of a normal satellite, just put up the maximum payload consisting of a sphere of heat-resistant ceramic and a deorbiting thruster.

However, I don't doubt for a moment that the satellite comes with a non-negotiable maintenance clause that makes sure you don't get control of the thruster systems.

Choices, choices...

[pongo000]

Damn...now I'll have to scratch this [neimanmarcus.com] off my list. I hate choices...

What would you use it for?

[natefanaro]

I'd run a web server and keep some space for me, and rent out the rest. Upgrades would be a bitch though. It could almost be like the failed seaworld project. I wonder if there could be any legal jurisdictions on a satellite.

The ultimate 'off-shore' server

[Baron_Yam]

I suspect that you'd have no problem at all putting whatever you wanted on your satelite web server. Of course, after you started hosting mpegs of necrobeastialpedophilia whoever was linking the satelite to land lines would STOP, and you'd have cops at your door wondering where those images were generated.

It's kind of like ransom - the biggest problem isn't the crime, its trying to collect.

Pfft!!!

[skinfitz]

Seller information
spacedev( 0 )
Feedback rating: 0 feedback reviews
Registered Nov-07-03 in United States

Seller registered within the last week with 0 feedback??? Oh yeah - like I'm gonna buy from HIM!

Re:Pfft!!!

[skinfitz]

The company is real and has a spacecraft currently in orbit.

You may be interested in this [reference.com].

Small Business Use?

[sm.arson]

The way I see it, owning (at least in part) a satellite is a lot like owning a radio station.

My uncle owns a few stations, and the scheme works like this; he buys a radio station for around $10 million (with hefty financing from a bank, of course), and arranges it so that the monthly payments on the loan are less than the monthly revenues from the radio station.

Maybe there is a similar opportunity for small business owners to have access to a satellite like this? Lord knows, I can't think of anything. How could a satellite bring in $10 million? I mean, aside from Real Genius Death Lasers and government spycams?

Forget European servers...

[Txiasaeia]

...here comes the SpaceDev eDonkey Server! Imagine the coolness factor of downloading the latest game, knowing that you've found an uploader using a SATELLITE!

Potential Bidders...

[vchoy]

I'm thinking the following are some of the potiential bidders that might be interested in this auction:

O_B_Ladden
Saddam_H
CIA^H^H_Research
NASA_Cos t_Control_Dept
A_Schwarzenegger (I can imagine him saying every 90 minutes when the satallite passes over...
"Heeeyyy fellas, looook ait my wondafull California state I am in charge of...isn't this very neat and powerful?")

MTV(TM)

[NaugaHunter]

First they drop videos for cartoons, then game shows, then video-related shows, then reality shows, and now space missions. Sure they hinted that this is where they were heading when they adopted the moon walk as a logo, but shouldn't they admit now that the M is for Miscellaneous and not Music?

mmm..Project Crossbow, at last!

[Tumbleweed]

Now all I gotta do is make that mirror, and win the auction, and I'm all set! Schweet.

Now, where'd I put my List....? It seems the Revolution has arrived!

expensive bunny suit....

[magarity]

Great, for only $9.5 mil you can be a tall fellow in a bunny suit...

Powered by eBay Turbo Lister

[Ridgelift]

The auction was "Powered by eBay Turbo Lister". Aren't they being a bit optomistic that they'll sell a lot of these on eBay to need the use of a bulk listing tool? :-)

Humm, No money from me.

[OverlordQ]

On August 6, 1998 the United States Securities and Exchange Commission filed an administrative proceeding alleging securities fraud against a San Diego, California company named Spacedev Inc. According to the SEC, Spacedev is a microcap company that promotes itself extensively on the Internet. The company claims that it intends to launch an unmanned spacecraft to a near earth asteroid in approximately 2000. The SEC alleges that the company made false and misleading statements over the Internet and via other

I'm selling one too!!!

[SoVi3t]

Yeah, opening bid is...ummm, how about just a thousand bucks. Just mail me the money. I promise that your satellite will be up soon :)

$9.5 million on ebay

[goldcd]

$15 million on thinkgeek.com

Emerging trend ..

[Rico_za]

It looks like eBay is becoming a cheap way to get your company, or yourself, into the media spotlight these days. Just put something strange up for auction (satellite, your virginity, your dignity, your wife, etc.) and you're guaranteed to get coverage on all major tech websites, magazines and news shows (CNN, Time, BBC, etc. are sure to run this). The fact that they porbably won't get $9,500,000 out of it doesn't really matter. Millions more people will now know that they can build satellites for a frac

Nah, Moon mission..

[adeyadey]

Ok, everyone club together, and lets send up an ion drive, a few solar cells - 18 month /. moon mission anyone?

Or maybe a solar sail..

Re:RTFM

[c0dedude]

oops... s/RTFM/RTFA. And it looks like the sat will be a Spacedev MTV sat, so you don't even get to design that. Yikes.

/me can't type.

Re:RTFM

[cyberlotnet]

You RTFM you fool..

You control the cameras, you get to look at what you want, You can even timeshare out the camera time and use it to make money.. You can replace or put other gear beyond personnal gear as long as you pay for it.

Come on what parts of
" A satellite that you can command from the comfort of your own home or office, simply using your PC and the Internet"

OR
"Through this auction you can purchase exclusive use of an actual SpaceDev MTV(TM) satellite"

Do you not understand.. Lets repeat this "EXCLUSIVE USE"

Re:RTFM

[cyberlotnet]

Oh by the way
MTV stands for

orbital Maneuvering and orbital Transfer Vehicle

NOT the music channel you boob

Re:RTFM

[Carnildo]

It's a 60 kg sat, of which 20 kg is user-configurable payload. You could fit a reasonable project into that space.

Re:SpaceDev = Financial Problems?

[nhaze]

.OB denotes that the stock is traded on an Over The Counter Bulletin Board (OTC) rather than on the open market. There are any number of reasons why a company would prefer to be traded OTC. Low trading volume, inability to meet an exchange's listing requirements, (which can also be because the company does not want to abide by disclosure policies of an exchange). SpaceDev has never been kicked down to OTC from an exchange listing. They started ground up from OTC and seems like they are doing pretty damn

Re:read the words

[magarity]

but it's not yours

An academic point; do you really think they can repo it after the launch?