shuttle: $1.3 billion per flight

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radarredux

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A common discussion on these boards is the cost per flight of the shuttle. SDC posted an article which puts the cost at $1.3 billion.<br /><br />Certainly some will quibble with the data. For example, the article talks about an average of 4 flights a year for the next several years, while SG says that 2006-2010 will have five flights a year.<br /><br />Still, it is an interesting read.
 
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no_way

Guest
well.. the upcoming launch will cost around _TEN_ billion or more. Because obviously most of the 2003 and entire 2004 STS budget accounted solely for RTF effort.
 
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najab

Guest
If every penny of the Shuttle budget had been spent <b>soley</b> on preparing Discovery, yes. However modifications were made and work has been done to <b>all</b> the orbiters, which immediately nullifies that argument.
 
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nacnud

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Seeing than there is now only 28 more planned shuttle flights it might be possible to finally find a single figure for the cost per flight of the shuttle i.e.<br /><br />Development cost + budget for 30 years of operations / number of flights = cost per flight.<br /><br />Of course you would have to adjust for inflation as well but it should be possible.<br />
 
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nacnud

Guest
...which is exactly what they try to do in the article, DOH! Remember kids RTFA.<br /><br />What might be interesting is to compare this to the other US manned programs on a cost per man hour on orbit basis.
 
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grooble

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Wouldn't it be cheaper to strap thrusters onto the modules, launch em on big rockets and auto connect them to the ISS? <br /><br />I think lego ships are the way to go. Modular. <br /><br />Launch a dozen space ship modules, or CEVs and have them interconnect to form a larger ship, maybe once connected they could be encased with a hull or something else to add stability, you'd have a nice interplanetary spaceship. Just send up the crew module, connect, send up the fuel module, connect. And go to the moon and back! Easy!<br /><br />I always imagined a space navigation system based on starlight, the ship would know its precise location by triangulating via the light of 100s of stars and cross referencing, + its distance from the earth and moon. It could be on a display like a computer game, you'd see renders of the position of the ship in relation to nearby objects and installations. <br /><br />Another idea i have is to get rid of windows. Don't need em. Just strap 100s of micro cameras on the outside of the hull, and on the inside have a display that shows crystal clear live video showing you what is outside. It'd look like the front of the spacecraft was missing, but it wouldn't be. <br />
 
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frodo1008

Guest
Ok. these things always seem to be leading to some type of Shuttle Bashing Cost Analysis. The other side of the coin is Private industry would be much cheaper.<br />Then let us take the only current data even close for Private Tourist flight data. It has been anounced by Bert Rutan that the first general flights to space by a private concern, a sub-orbital 5 minute in actual space hop for $200,000 per each passenger. This would translate into some $3,600,000 per hour per passenger (of course, these passengers do not perform any kind of actual work as do astronauts). On average the shuttle takes up some six astronauts at a time (although, I think the average from now on will go down somewhat), or 6 times 3.6 mil is equal to some 21.6 mil.<br />Now the usual Shuttle flight is at least 1 week or 168 hours. Or the total rate of astronauts is equivalent to $3,628,800,000 per shuttle flight. A real bargain!!<br /><br />Of course, I fully realize that this is the same kind of reasoning that is being done by the current Washington Administration to justify the current Federal Budget!! <br /><br />However, if we are going to start to even try to equalize these costs this is the kind of accountant type of thinking that in all fairness we are going to have to use!!<br /><br />Have A Great Day!
 
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grooble

Guest
Mr Morris could put an orbital manned mission together for under $30 million come 3 or 4 years from now if he had the cash. <br /><br />I could build an earth - moon large spaceship for $500m <br /><br />Orgs like NASA are locked into modes of thinking and using the same old suppliers and don't mind paying the high prices because they get their money for free from the Government, so they don't mind wasting it.<br /><br />SpaceX and other corps have to support themselves and are far more effective per $ than NASA will ever be.
 
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mikejz

Guest
And the point? <br /><br />That private industy can do more with less money then gov't? <br /><br />Really, I never would of guessed such a amazing fact! It seems to defy everything we have ever known!
 
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grooble

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I'm glad you learned something <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" />
 
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