From: andrew.gray@dunelm.org.uk   
      
   On 2005-03-20, N. Foldager  wrote:   
   >   
   > Regarding a manned Mars mission:   What size of order has a qualified   
   > guess on the costs?   
   >   
   > (I am aware that it can be calculated in many ways)   
      
   Zubrin (I know, I know) estimated it at $10bn over ten years setup and   
   then $1bn/year if done "properly"; $20bn was what he expected; he   
   suggested the NASA version might run to $30bn and maybe $1.5-2bn a year.   
      
   The NASA Mars Reference Mission (SP-6107, it's on NTRS somewhere) has a   
   chapter on costs, but doesn't cite a dollar value. Zubrin's estimate of   
   $30bn over ten years is possibly slightly low, but sounds like the right   
   ballpark.   
      
   "Tens of billions" is a good order of magnitude guess.   
      
   --   
   -Andrew Gray   
    andrew.gray@dunelm.org.uk   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)