How much did the entire space shuttle program cost?

Two of the program’s 134 flights have ended in tragedy, killing 14 astronauts in all. Recent NASA estimates peg the shuttle program’s cost through the end of last year at $209 billion (in 2010 dollars), yielding a per-flight cost of nearly $1.6 billion.

How much did the space shuttle cost per mission?

The total cost of the actual 30-year service life of the Shuttle program through 2011, adjusted for inflation, was $196 billion. The exact breakdown into non-recurring and recurring costs is not available, but, according to NASA, the average cost to launch a Space Shuttle as of 2011 was about $450 million per mission.

How much money did the space shuttle save?

The Shuttle would save only half a billion discounted dollars, and would break even with the Titan III at a discount rate of only 1.5 percent.

How much did the space shuttle Challenger disaster cost?

The Challenger disaster cost the nation $3.2 billion and rocket seals suspected of triggering the explosion should be redesigned before shuttles fly again even if they are absolved of blame, the head of NASA said today.

How much did it cost to reuse the Space Shuttle?

NASA’s space shuttle, for instance, was designed to be largely reusable, but in reality, extensive repairs and inspections were needed before each new launch. As The Verge points out, this drove the cost of each shuttle mission up to between $450 million and $1.5 billion.

Was the shuttle program successful?

It launched like a rocket, handled like a spacecraft in orbit, and flew home like a glider. It was the first reusable spacecraft to carry humans to space. It demonstrated the success of new technologies and returned America to flight after the Apollo program ended. The space shuttle was a ship like no other.

How does the Buran class compare to NASA’s Space Shuttle?

Although the Buran class was similar in appearance to NASA ‘s Space Shuttle orbiter, and could similarly operate as a re-entry spaceplane, its internal and functional design was distinct. For example, the main engines during launch were on the Energia rocket and were not taken into orbit by the spacecraft.

What was the Buran programme and how was it developed?

The Buran programme was started by the Soviet Union as a response to the United States Space Shuttle program. The project was the largest and the most expensive in the history of Soviet space exploration. Development work included sending BOR-5 test vehicles on multiple sub-orbital test flights,…

What happened to the Buran space program?

The collapse killed 8 workers and destroyed one of the Buran craft ( Orbiter K1 ), which flew the test flight in 1988, as well as a mock-up of an Energia booster rocket. It was not clear to outsiders at the time which Buran programme craft was destroyed, and the BBC reported that it was just “a model” of the orbiter.

What is the Buran orbital vehicle programme?

The Buran orbital vehicle programme was developed in response to the U.S. Space Shuttle programme, which in the 1980s raised considerable concerns among the Soviet military and especially Defense Minister Dmitry Ustinov.