The cost of a space mission can vary depending on the type of rocket, payload weight, and destination. Here are some examples of space mission costs:
- Falcon 9A single launch of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket costs around $69.75 million. The Falcon 9 has a 99% success rate after 396 launches.
- Falcon HeavyA launch of the Falcon Heavy rocket can cost between $90 million and $150 million. In 2022, NASA contracted with SpaceX to launch the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope on a Falcon Heavy for approximately $255 million.
- SpaceX StarshipThe cost per launch of the SpaceX Starship is $100 million. The project cost is at least $5 billion.
- NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS)The cost of a launch of the SLS is estimated to be over $2 billion.
The time it takes to complete a space mission can vary:
- The first successful mission to Mars, Viking 1, launched in 1975 and landed in 1976, ten months later.
- The rovers Spirit and Opportunity reached Mars in 2003 and 2004, taking just 6 months.
- Some astronauts have spent much longer periods in space than they initially planned. For example, Russian Valeri Polyakov spent 437 days in space in the mid-1990s.