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Everything that goes to Mars must be launched from Earth. And it will require multiple launches. So what are the available options? And what are the costs involved?
So far the best info about launch vehicles I can find is on Wikipedia. It has good sourcing so I’m working on this list as the basis. You can find it here: Comparison of Launch Vehicles – Wikipedia
The vehicles on this list that we are interested in are the ones labelled “Operational” or “Development”. They are the ones that can currently, or in the future, put items into space.
The list also displays information about the ability of each launch vehicle to put items into a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) or other orbits. A craft capable of travelling to Mars will be fairly large and will need to be constructed in LEO, similar to the International Space Station (ISS). Items that get sent straight to Mars will likely fall into the “other” category.
While the actual costs are not widely publicised, I have discovered information that indicates the current price to put 1kg into space is in the range of US$5000 (Falcon Heavy – under development) to US$30,000 (Atlas V – operational). Unfortunately we currently have no idea of the weight of Mars-related material so the cost will remain speculative.
The actual size of a vehicle may also become important. For example, the size/diameter of a required item may exceed the limit of an existing vehicle. As far as I can work out the maximum diameter of a space-launch payload is about 4.5m. Custom launch capsules may need to be manufactured to accommodate a larger size while keeping the launch weight within the vehicle launch specifications, or the payload may need to fit within the size limit and be able to expand once in orbit.
Besides the list at Comparison of Launch Vehicles – Wikipedia, are there other launch options available? Or which options from that list would provide the most cost-effective way to put the necessary items into space, or send them directly to Mars?
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