Cost of S-IC on Saturn V

[Tank Buddy]

After thinking of it during school today, I wanted to find out how much it costs to launch a Saturn V, or at least one stage. So here's the math:

The S-IC burns RP-1 and LOX

RP-1: 209,000 gallons @ 635,029.381 Kg

Price in the 1960's: $.05 per Kg.

Cost of RP-1: $57660.66

LOX: 334,500 gallons @ 1441516.552 Kg

Price NASA paid: $.04 per Kg

Cost of LOX: $31751.47

Total cost: $89,412.13 for ~150 second of burning @ $596.12 per second

IT COSTS 7152.97 DOLLARS TO FIRE THIS ENGINE FOR TWELVE SECONDS.

Sources:

1. http://history.msfc.nasa.gov/saturn_apollo/documents/First_Stage.pdf
   
2. http://www.astronautix.com/props/loxosene.htm
   

Image:

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=183784664

[Minecrafter1]

Why not convert it to 2013 dollars (or the closest you can find)

That is nowhere near as impressive a number unless you convert it to dollars we are used to.

[Nibb31]

Fuel and propellant cost is probably the least relevant metric for determining the cost of a launch. It's just peanuts compared to the hardware, infrastructure and manpower cost.

[SFJackBauer]

Fuel and propellant cost is probably the least relevant metric for determining the cost of a launch. It's just peanuts compared to the hardware, infrastructure and manpower cost.

Exactly. Just for comparison, all the liquid propellants for a shuttle launch costed $1.3 million. Meanwhile the total cost per launch ended up around $1.4 billion.

[PakledHostage]

It seems that this forum's two primary references are Wikipedia and xkcd... Here's a relevant link to the latter:

xkcd Money chart

The chart's legend says that all values are in 2011 US dollars. According to the chart's "Megaprojects" area in the Billions region, the Apollo program cost 192 billion. The ISS has cost 138 billion so far, and the space shuttle program totaled 195 billion. I am going to leave it to others to decide how to break up the 192 billion cost of the Apollo program on a per launch basis.

[astropapi1]

The Apollo program cost 192 billion, and the space shuttle program totaled 195 billion.

I am just going to leave that there.

[Tiberion]

I am just going to leave that there.

I am just going to leave this here.

Number of Apollo Launches: 17

Number of Space Shuttle Launches: 135

[astropapi1]

I am just going to leave this here.

Number of Apollo Launches: 17

Number of Space Shuttle Launches: 135

Apollo wasn't a cargo truck.

[fatfluffycat]

Hmm, those craters look like the holes those bugs make and wait for ants to fall in them, then they eat them.......hmmm

Jk, there pretty cool pictures.

[PakledHostage]

Apollo wasn't a cargo truck.

It wasn't the World Cup of football (soccer) either... The chart says Qatar is spending 207 billion USD to build a city for the 2022 World Cup event... Jocks 1, Nerds 0.

[astropapi1]

It wasn't the World Cup of football (soccer) either... The chart says Qatar is spending 207 billion USD to build a city for the 2022 World Cup event... Jocks 1, Nerds 0.

Huh, get me started.

[hugix]

It wasn't the World Cup of football (soccer) either... The chart says Qatar is spending 207 billion USD to build a city for the 2022 World Cup event... Jocks 1, Nerds 0.

That makes me really sad...

[rkman]

Jocks 1, Nerds 0.

I'd say it's the other way around, nerds win for being cheaper and more productive.

[PakledHostage]

I'd say it's the other way around, nerds win for being cheaper and more productive.

I agree just imagine what inspiring things we nerds could do with that kind of money? Trouble is that us scientists and engineers are not going to get that kind of funding any time soon.

[astropapi1]

I agree just imagine what inspiring things we nerds could do with that kind of money? Trouble is that us scientists and engineers are not going to get that kind of funding any time soon.

We only have only chance left... REVOLUTION!