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The cost of landing man on MarsIn a period where the space program budget is generally static at about 1/3 of the level reached during the Apollo program, manned planetary flight is not considered by NASA planners to be a realistic near term goal. Much of NASA's current planning is based on the perception that manned planetary flight would be more costly than the Apollo lunar landing. This paper demonstrates that with current technological improvements in avionics, structure, and space transportation, the landing of an American on Mars would cost only 1/3 to 2/3 of the lunar landing; on a per capita basis such a program would cost less than $200, compared to Apollo's $325 (all dollars in 1981 base). Given the fact that a manned Mars landing is the last such exploration feat left to this generation, the cost should clearly not be a major deterrent.
Document ID
19840056456
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Mandell, H. C., Jr.
(NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Date Acquired
August 12, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1984
Subject Category
Economics And Cost Analysis
Report/Patent Number
AAS PAPER 81-251
Accession Number
84A39243
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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