Humanity has practically ceased to worry about the technical possibility of flying to Mars. Everyone knows that this is possible, and journeys to Mars are a matter of time. At this time, the issue of price is of the greatest interest. Two and a half years ago, in September 2016, during the presentation of the Super Heavy carrier rocket and the Starship interplanetary ship, Elon Musk assured that colonization of the Red Planet could take 40-100 years, while the flight of one person would cost no more than the average price of an American home (at that time it was about $200,000).
Responding to the reader’s question on Twitter on February 11, 2019, Elon Musk came up with a new price and roughly estimated the prospects for changing the cost of the flight. The reader asked how greatly the ticket price could be reduced due to the re-use of launch vehicles and ships.
Musk said that the exact price will largely depend on the volume of traffic. At the same time, he noted that today the price is $500,000 dollars (the return ticket is provided free of charge). At the same time, with the start of regular journeys to Mars, the price of a ticket for colonialists may drop to $100,000. A resident of a developed country will be able to sell their home and move to Mars.
It should be noted that Musk’s ambitious plans were rarely embodied according to the deadlines set by him. However, they were always brought to a logical conclusion. The prices and terms presented by Musk are still approximate estimates. The original plans of the billionaire enthusiast included sending two cargo ships to Mars by 2022, which are necessary for the creation of a material base for the first colonists, whose arrival is scheduled for 2024.
