Introduction:
I bet you're wondering, “What is the cheapest way to go to space?”. It's a great question, but one that can be a bit tricky to answer. In this article, I'm going to explain how different ways of getting into space affect your cost and what that means for you.
Going to space has become something for the rich and famous, but it doesn't have to be that way. There are some exciting things going on in the industry where average Joes will soon be able to enjoy their own adventure into space without breaking the bank.
It's not as expensive as you think.
You might think that the cheapest way to get into space is to ride a Soyuz rocket up here. But if you're going to live in space for more than a few days, you'll need something better than a Soyuz.
That's because it takes about three weeks for astronauts to get used to their new environment after they arrive at the International Space Station (ISS). After that, they have only about two days of free time before they have to go back down again.
So if you want to go up there permanently, or even just a few times, you'll need your own spacecraft.
There are two main ways of doing this: building your own spaceship or buying one from a company that's already built one.
The cheapest way to go to space is not what you think.
The most common misconception is that the cost of flying into orbit is high and the cost of taking off from Earth's surface is low. In fact, it's just the opposite. The cost of getting into orbit is very high and getting off the ground takes almost no energy at all.
To understand this, let's imagine someone who wants to visit Mars. He has two options: he can either build a rocket that can lift him up there or he can use one that already exists and put him into orbit around the planet. We'll assume that he has enough money and resources — including launch vehicles — to build both kinds of vehicles.
The shuttle cost around $200 million to build.
The shuttle cost around $200 million to build. To go from low earth orbit to the International Space Station, you need more than a shuttle. You need an expendable launch vehicle (ELV), which costs around $150 million per flight. This rocket can carry your astronauts into space and back down again, but it's not meant for carrying cargo or people.
The most economical way to get into space is by using a Soyuz rocket, which costs around $50 million per flight. You can also hitch a ride on a commercial spacecraft that is designed to carry humans into space and back down again (like the Dragon capsule). The price tag for one-way tickets on these vehicles varies depending on where you go and when you book, but they're usually between $20,000 and $100,000 per person.
Many people have asked me about the cheapest way to go to space and I am happy to share with you my research. The first thing to consider is how much does it cost to get into space? The answer is: It depends.
The shuttle cost around $200 million to build. This number can vary depending on the model, but it's generally between $10-30 million per launch.
The next question is, how much does it cost to get on the rocket?
The answer is: It depends on your location and how many people are in your party, but most people will spend $20-50k for tickets (depending on their income) and another $30-100k if they want a hotel room nearby (which isn't necessary).
Space flights will get more affordable as we launch more missions.
The first few spaceflights were very expensive, because they required a lot of technology that wasn't available yet. Now, however, we have spacecraft that can travel to space and return safely. These spacecraft cost much less than they used to.
The cheapest way to go into space is still on a Russian Soyuz rocket, which costs around $96 million per seat. They're expensive because they're designed to carry astronauts into orbit so they can stay there for periods of time without needing to return to Earth.
SpaceX has plans for cheaper rockets called Falcon 9s and Dragon capsules that will launch satellites and cargo into space for less than $10 million each.
The cheapest way to go to space is by signing up for a ride on a SpaceX rocket. The company was founded in 2002 by Elon Musk, who also founded PayPal and Tesla Motors.
SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket blasts off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on April 30, 2017. (Photo: AFP/Getty Images)
The company has launched 10 missions so far, including one last year that successfully delivered supplies to the International Space Station. Another launch is scheduled for later this month.
SpaceX charges $62 million for its rides, which include the first-class seats and full meals that are usually reserved for celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio or Mark Zuckerberg.
NASA is working hard to make space hotels a reality.
NASA is working hard to make space hotels a reality. The agency has already invested $2 billion in the project, which includes a number of test flights and human missions.
The first space hotel concept is still in its early stages, but it could someday be used by people who want to visit the International Space Station (ISS) or other orbiting facilities. The hotels would have their own life support systems, so they don't need to rely on astronauts for food and water.
The hotels would probably be built at the ISS or other space stations, but they could also be built in low-Earth orbit (LEO). LEO is closer to Earth than geostationary orbit (GEO), which is where communication satellites go.
NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) will be the most powerful rocket ever built when it launches for the first time in 2021.
The agency is hoping to send astronauts on missions to the moon and Mars within a decade, but that's only if there's a way to get them there cheaply.
NASA has been working hard to make space hotels a reality.
The space agency is currently funding two companies — Bigelow Aerospace and Orbital ATK — that are developing inflatable modules that could one day be used as space hotels.
Getting to space isn't always the most expensive option.
Getting to space isn't always the most expensive option.
In fact, there are several methods for getting into orbit that is less expensive than going straight up. They're also much more affordable than an all-out trip to Mars or Venus, which would require a lot of money and time as well as specialized equipment and training.
One of these methods is a Russian Soyuz rocket launch, which costs $70 million per seat. You can also fly on top of an existing rocket — like the SpaceX Falcon 9 — but it will cost you about $40 million per seat. And if you want to pay even less, NASA offers rides for about $20 million with its Space Launch System (SLS) rocket.
You can get to space for as little as $20 million.
The biggest expense is getting up into orbit, which ranges from $5 million to $10 million per launch. That's because there are two ways of getting into space: by building a rocket or by going up on a spacecraft.
Spacecrafts are much cheaper than rockets, but they're also more limited in their capabilities. A spacecraft can go to only one destination at a time, while a rocket can send multiple objects simultaneously — those multiple destinations are called satellites; the difference is that satellites stay in orbit while the rockets come and go.
A spacecraft must also be launched within a certain period of time after its completion date; this means that many projects have deadlines that are much shorter than their cost estimates would suggest. It's not unusual for a project's total costs to exceed its funding by 10 times or even 100 times!
Conclusion:
While commercial space tourism is still in its infancy, it is poised to become a major industry in the coming years. The cost of space exploration will go down as technology advances and it becomes easier to launch payloads into space. Of all the commercial companies right now, SpaceX is at the forefront of affordable space travel because of its cost-effective reusable rockets.