Author Topic: Costs of Scientific Missions  (Read 3094 times)

Offline RocketEconomist327

  • Rocket Economist
  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 812
  • Infecting the beltway with fiscal responsibility, limited government, and free markets.
  • Liked: 96
  • Likes Given: 62
Costs of Scientific Missions
« on: 08/06/2011 11:56 pm »
Ok, I am looking for costs of specific missions.

I found the cost of a Discovery mission of $425 million.
Quote
Discovery Missions – These Principal Investigator (PI)-led projects are complete, self-standing, and uncoupled Science Mission Directorate (SMD) investigations.  The total cost to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for each Discovery mission has a not-to-exceed cost cap ($425M in the 2006 Announcement of Opportunity (AO)) to cover the complete mission, including spacecraft development, mission operations, data analysis, and education and public outreach.


I found the cost of a New Frontiers mission of less than $700 million.
Quote
The New Frontiers Program seeks to contain total mission cost and development time and improve performance through the use of validated new technologies, efficient management, and control of design, development and operations costs while maintaining a strong commitment to flight safety. The cost for the entire mission must be less than $700 million.

However, I cannot find source material for costs of Flagship program missions or Explorer program missions.  Maybe my google-fu is off but if someone could throw some links my way I sure would appreciate it.

VR
RE327
You can talk about all the great things you can do, or want to do, in space; but unless the rocket scientists get a sound understanding of economics (and quickly), the US space program will never achieve the greatness it should.

Putting my money where my mouth is.

Offline hop

  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3352
  • Liked: 553
  • Likes Given: 891
Re: Costs of Scientific Missions
« Reply #1 on: 08/07/2011 12:26 am »
Explorer: http://explorers.gsfc.nasa.gov/missions.html

AFAIK flagship don't have a specific limit, though obviously there is a practical limit determined by NASAs budget.

Offline RocketEconomist327

  • Rocket Economist
  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 812
  • Infecting the beltway with fiscal responsibility, limited government, and free markets.
  • Liked: 96
  • Likes Given: 62
Re: Costs of Scientific Missions
« Reply #2 on: 08/07/2011 12:29 am »
Thank you, so its $180 million for a medium explorer mission... anyone know how much a full up explorer would be?  I have been told its $325 million but I cannot find it anywhere.

Also I have been told that flagships are between $2 and $3 billion.

Hop,

Thank you Sir or Ma'am :)

VR
RE327
You can talk about all the great things you can do, or want to do, in space; but unless the rocket scientists get a sound understanding of economics (and quickly), the US space program will never achieve the greatness it should.

Putting my money where my mouth is.

Offline ngc3314

  • Member
  • Posts: 67
    • Bill's data repository
  • Liked: 8
  • Likes Given: 0
Re: Costs of Scientific Missions
« Reply #3 on: 08/08/2011 01:00 am »
For the current Explorer 2011 decision, the proposal document states that the PI mission cost is limited to $200 million. This does not include launch; the document states that the exact launcher is not determined (to be contracted with one of several providers); only the fairing size is stated. "Large" Explorers have been so infrequent that comparison from one to the next is very difficult - the rules can change on faster timescales.

Offline RocketEconomist327

  • Rocket Economist
  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 812
  • Infecting the beltway with fiscal responsibility, limited government, and free markets.
  • Liked: 96
  • Likes Given: 62
Re: Costs of Scientific Missions
« Reply #4 on: 08/08/2011 03:55 am »
For the current Explorer 2011 decision, the proposal document states that the PI mission cost is limited to $200 million. This does not include launch; the document states that the exact launcher is not determined (to be contracted with one of several providers); only the fairing size is stated. "Large" Explorers have been so infrequent that comparison from one to the next is very difficult - the rules can change on faster timescales.
You are a GOD among men.  Thank you so much!
You can talk about all the great things you can do, or want to do, in space; but unless the rocket scientists get a sound understanding of economics (and quickly), the US space program will never achieve the greatness it should.

Putting my money where my mouth is.

 

Advertisement NovaTech
Advertisement Northrop Grumman
Advertisement
Advertisement Margaritaville Beach Resort South Padre Island
Advertisement Brady Kenniston
Advertisement NextSpaceflight
Advertisement Nathan Barker Photography
0