NumBytes 25: NASA Numbers

In about three billion years, give or take a few, the sun should be burning off Earth's atmosphere, so it seems like a good idea for us humans should figure out how to leave this rock for another rock long before that happens. First with satellites and then with manned launches, NASA rocketed us up, up, and away into space, although the current space shuttle mission is slated to be the last for the program.

According to NASA, the entire space shuttle program of 135 launches cost $115 billion in flat dollars and $211 billion in inflation-adjusted dollars. To that, you can add $18 billion to the total from the Defense Department for about 10 of those missions, or at least 10 it 'fesses up to.

Sadly, NASA cannot field the next generation spaceship, but private enterprise may yet field a starship Enterprise, in part thanks to the second round of the Space Act Agreements, part of a plan to create commercial vehicles to transport astronauts to space. In April 2011, Blue Origin, backed by Amazon.com chairman Jeff Bezos, received $22 million out of the $269 million in funding (Boeing grabbed the largest share with $92 million). Blue Origin is already constructing a launch pad and facility in West Texas. Bezos' goal for the next 20 years is to make Amazon as large as Wal-Mart.

But Amazon/Blue Origin has a ways to go. Richard Branson-backed Virgin Galactic is already taking reservations for rides into space (430 already signed up at $200,000 per pop according to its web site) aboard its spaceship, which just completed test flights in May 2011. VG is building its own launch facility, called Spaceport America, in New Mexico.

Like historical explorations, government-funded expeditions came first -- think Spain sponsoring Columbus or the US sponsoring Lewis and Clark -- followed by private enterprise. Star Trek may not yet be upon us, but the end of one era often signals the beginning of another, better one.