Financial effort estimation

The cost to orbit

This page is a collection of Financial effort estimations. It covers all planning, preperations, material, transport, administration, etc.

Systematics

There are several stages that can be calculated separately:

Transportation from Earth to Earth's orbit
Transportation from Earth's orbit to Mars' orbit
Transportation from Earth's orbit to Mars' surface
Transportation from Earth's orbit to Earth's moon
Transportation from Earth's moon to Mars' orbit
Transportation from Earth's moon to Mars' surface

Cost per kg from Earth to Low earth orbit (unmanned)

Small launch vehicles (less than 2300kg): ^[1]

USA, Athena 2 (2065kg to LEO): $11622 per kg
Russia, Cosmos (1500kg to LEO): $8667 per kg
USA, Pegasus XL (443kg to LEO): $30474 per kg
Russia, Rockot (1850kg to LEO): $7297 per kg
Russia, Shtil (430kg to LEO): $465 per kg
Russia, START (632kg to LEO): $11687 per kg
USA, Taurus (1380kg to LEO) $13768 per kg
USA, Falcon 1e (430 to LEO) $1010 per kg

Medium launch vehicles (less than 12000kg):

Europe, Ariane 44L (10200kg to LEO): $11029 per kg (last launch 2003)
USA, Atlas 2AS (8618kg to LEO): $11314 per kg
USA, Delta 2 (5144kg to LEO): $10692 per kg
Russia, Dnepr (4400kg to LEO): $3409 per kg
China, Long March 2C (3200kg to LEO): $7031 per kg
China, Long March 2E (9200kg to LEO): $5435 per kg
Russia, Soyuz (7000kg to LEO): $5357 per kg
USA, Falcon 9 (10450Kg to LEO) $4775 per kg first launch 2010

Heavy launch vehicles (more than 12000kg):

Europe, Ariane 5G(18000kg to LEO): $9167 per kg
China, Long March 3B(13600kg to LEO): $4412 per kg
Russia, Proton(19760kg to LEO): $4302 per kg
USA, Space Shuttle(28803kg to LEO): $10416 per kg ( lasts launchs 2011-2012)
Ukraine, Zenit 2(13740kg to LEO): $3093 per kg
Multinational, Zenit 3SL(15876kg to LEO: $5354 per kg
USA, Falcon 9 Heavy (32000Kg to LEO) $2968 per kg (still in developement )

super heavy ( saturn V class )

USA, SLS ( after space shuttle withdrawal) (70 000Kg to 130 0000Kg to LEO) work in progress

I've been there as well! Such amazing hisrtoy at those sites, and it's a shame there isn't a good way to preserve them or make them accessible to space enthusiasts in the public. The weather and sea salts are just eating these sites into hisrtoy.I wish I would have gone into one of the blockhouses. I think those would be pretty cool, but wasn't sure if I was allowed to go in!Keep up the great work. I love reading your blog...

Cost estimations in existing publications

NewScientist 2004: "A human mission to Mars is expected to cost $40 billion to $80 billion."
MARS DAILY 2007: "U.S. experts estimate the cost of a manned mission to Mars at $500 billion. Russia believes it can place cosmonauts on the planet's surface in the next 12 years for just $14 billion, ..."
Mars direct was estimated by NASA to be $55 billion

These huge differences are the result of different mission targets - simple mission of flying to Mars and back (plans by Roskosmos (Russia) - similar to lunar Apollo program) is far more cheaper than permanent setlement or even NASA expediture mission (staying 90 days or about year). Expensivness of current NASA mission plans mostly comes from the fact, that they includes LEO, Moon base stages with 3+ subsequential flies to Mars, with manned ~600 day stay.