Comment Re:$1.5 billion? (Score 1) 244
Last I had heard the estimated cost per shuttle flight was over $1 Billion. Due to the way NASA does accounting they don't put out an official cost per flight. When the program started they wanted to be flying the shuttle every 2 weeks. The program was always going to be costly year over year but the idea was that with many flights we would be getting a great value. As the program has flown less flights per year the costs have gone WAY up.
So when I heard that they wanted to do this for $1.5 billion per year I was wondering how they do it... looking at NASA's budgets they spent $3.1 billion on the shuttle last year and another $724 on Space and Flight support. I don't see how a private company is going to strip that much cost from the program.
The FY2011 Budget which includes past years.
http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/428837main_NASA_FY_2011_Congressional_Justificaton_Budget_Book_Rev-01_BOOKMARKED.pdf