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And while it is steadily becoming cheaper to go into space, it will never beat the economics of staying on Earth

That's a bold statement for the author to make without backing it up. I feel confident he is wrong.
The logistics of constructing near the South Pole, and keeping it manned, would be a costly and ongoing expense. Satellite operating costs are much lower, it's the launch that is the primary cost (aside from construction) and it is a one-time cost. Launch costs are rapidly falling and should continue to do so for the foreseeable future. It is already cheaper to launch a small payload than to take a short visit to the South Pole.
The satellite would get a much better vantage point, and be maneuverable, making it significantly superior to anything land based.

I'd be surprised if anyone sinks significant revenue into any new ground based telescopes, anywhere.

[–] Owlchemy [OP] 1 points (+1|-0) Edited

You're probably right, but there will always be those who want hands on rather than remote control experiences.