The first joint NASA/European Space Agency study of an international human mission to Mars has concluded that the price tag could be less than that of the Apollo programme of the 1960s and 1970s.
The study used 2002 dollars and found that the Apollo programme, excluding development of the Saturn launcher, cost $120 billion, while a 10-year, 10-mission Mars exploration programme would cost up to $98 billion. However, the study also found that cost growth could push the final price tag to $127 billion. Even with its inbuilt 30% cost margin, this is still a quarter of the cost estimates for President Bush's Project Constellation Moon-Mars plan.
The mission plan examined was Mars Direct, advocated by international Martian exploration group Mars Society. The study group, drawn from NASA's Marshall space flight centre, Mars Society and ESA's Netherlands-based European Space Research and Technology Centre, assumed an eight-year timetable from the start to first Mars mission launch - similar to the Apollo programme. The study also assumes equipment and spacecraft would be tested on unmanned missions first.
The study has major development work carried out at many centres, although only NASA develops Mars Direct's heavylift launcher because it is derived from space shuttle technology.
ROB COPPINGER / LONDON
Source: Flight International