Brian Wang The NASA Artemis 2 mission would be a manned lunar flyby. It will cost about $5-10 billion with the SLS and Orion systems. A SpaceX Falcon Heavy option with modified Dragon would cost about $2-3 billion. Alternative vehicle costs: Improved propulsion for lunar trajectories Modifications to thermal protection for lunar return velocities These modifications could potentially cost hundreds of millions of dollars, but would likely still be less than Orion’s development costs. Mission Architecture Changes Multiple launches: A lunar Dragon mission might require 2-3 Falcon Heavy launches for the capsule, service module, and fuel1. Potential cost: $300-450 million for launches, plus $200-300 million for the modified Dragon capsule and service module. Total Estimated Cost A rough estimate for a lunar Dragon mission could be $500-750 million, compared to the current $4.1 billion for an SLS/Orion launch Brian Wang Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology. Known for identifying cutting edge technologies, he is currently a Co-Founder of a startup and fundraiser for high potential early-stage companies. He is the Head of Research for Allocations for deep technology investments and an Angel Investor at Space Angels. A frequent speaker at corporations, he has been a TEDx speaker, a Singularity University speaker and guest at numerous interviews for radio and podcasts. He is open to public speaking and advising engagements. Categories