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According to a report on the SpaceRef web site linked below as 'Lockheed Martin Awarded External Tank Contract', NASA has a contract with Lockheed Martin, New Orleans, that totals $2.94 billion to build 17 external tanks through Sept. 2010. That comes out to be an average price of around $170 million per tank.

However, the report mentioned above is about an addition to the external tank contract, so it may be a misprint and the 17 external tanks may be additional tanks added to take the contact to the end of the shuttle program. According to the reference linked below as 'The Assembly and Production of the External Tank', each tank costs about $55 million as of 1995.

Later tanks, called the Super Light-Weight Tanks (SLWT) cost around $5 million more than the earlier version, the Light-Weight Tank. The SLWT costs more because they use an aluminum/lithium alloy that is more expensive and harder to work than earlier materials. By making the tank lighter, the shuttle is able to carry a heavier payload. This change allowed the shuttle to meet the payload requirements for construction of the International Space Station.

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13y ago
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4mo ago

The cost of one Space Shuttle external tank was approximately $42 million. These tanks were used to supply fuel to the Space Shuttle during launch and were intended to be disposable after each mission.

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Q: How much does 1 Space Shuttle external tank cost?
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How much did the space shuttle cost?

The Space Shuttle program had an estimated cost of about $196 billion over its lifetime, from development to retirement in 2011. Each Space Shuttle mission was estimated to cost about $450 million.


How much do the parts of a space shuttle cost?

The cost of the parts for a space shuttle varies depending on the specific part and its complexity. Overall, building and launching a space shuttle can cost billions of dollars, with costs for individual parts ranging from thousands to millions of dollars.


How much does it Cost for a shuttle mission?

The cost for a shuttle mission can vary significantly depending on the specific requirements and complexities of the mission. On average, the cost of a space shuttle mission was estimated to be around $450 million. However, with the retirement of the space shuttle program, new commercial solutions for space transportation have emerged, offering a wider range of pricing options.


How much did it cost to build the space shuttle challenger?

The total cost to build the Space Shuttle Challenger was approximately $2 billion. This included the development, construction, and testing of the shuttle before its first flight in 1983.


How much does a space shuttle cost?

The cost of building a space shuttle was around $1.7 billion each for NASA. However, the total cost of the program, including development, maintenance, and operational expenses, was much higher. Overall, the Space Shuttle program cost estimates range from $100 billion to $200 billion over its lifetime.

Related questions

How much does it cost for a space shuttle flight?

The average cost of a space shuttle mission is $450 million


How much did the space shuttle cost?

The Space Shuttle program had an estimated cost of about $196 billion over its lifetime, from development to retirement in 2011. Each Space Shuttle mission was estimated to cost about $450 million.


How much do the parts of a space shuttle cost?

The cost of the parts for a space shuttle varies depending on the specific part and its complexity. Overall, building and launching a space shuttle can cost billions of dollars, with costs for individual parts ranging from thousands to millions of dollars.


How much does it Cost for a shuttle mission?

The cost for a shuttle mission can vary significantly depending on the specific requirements and complexities of the mission. On average, the cost of a space shuttle mission was estimated to be around $450 million. However, with the retirement of the space shuttle program, new commercial solutions for space transportation have emerged, offering a wider range of pricing options.


How much did it cost to build the space shuttle challenger?

The total cost to build the Space Shuttle Challenger was approximately $2 billion. This included the development, construction, and testing of the shuttle before its first flight in 1983.


How much did the space shuttle program cost each of the 31300000 people in the US?

$2175.


How much does a space shuttle cost?

The cost of building a space shuttle was around $1.7 billion each for NASA. However, the total cost of the program, including development, maintenance, and operational expenses, was much higher. Overall, the Space Shuttle program cost estimates range from $100 billion to $200 billion over its lifetime.


What does the space shuttle look like?

The space shuttle had three main components: the orbiter, external tank, and solid rocket boosters. The orbiter had wings and resembled a plane. The external tank was a large orange tank, and the solid rocket boosters were two white rocket boosters attached to the sides.


How much does the space shuttle weigh?

The Space Shuttle weighs 165,000 pounds empty and with the Shuttle, external tank, solid rocket boosters and all the fuel combined the total weight is 4.4 million pounds. The Shuttle can also carry a 65,000 pound payload.


How much does it cost to maintain a space shuttle?

Anywhere from 3 billion to 20 billion dollars.


How much does the fuel on a space shuttle cost?

The fuel used by the Space Shuttle, known as liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, cost about $1.5 million per launch. This cost is just for the fuel itself and does not include other expenses associated with the launch.


How much does it cost to launch the space shuttle?

Launching the space shuttle program cost approximately $450 million per mission. However, the space shuttle program has been retired, and new space missions are now using alternative spacecraft such as SpaceX's Crew Dragon or NASA's SLS.