Cost of colony on Mars/Moon per metric ton

One possible approach how to estimate extend of space colonization is to define costs of it and then estimate the investments the governments and organizations would be willing to pay. In an excellent analysis of starship costs on the Rocketpunk Manifesto blog, the author shows that currently, the cost of building the International Space Station is \$170 millions per metric ton, and if we are very, very optimistic, the building price of space ships could be comparable to building price of a modern airplane, approximately \$1.2 millions per metric ton.

My question is: What is a reasonable estimate of building price and annual maintenance cost of a long-term working colony on a planet without breathable atmosphere, like Moon or Mars, per metric ton of the colony mass? What is a reasonably optimistic estimate how low could these prices fall once the technology is established?

Do not include the transport costs, only the costs of building the colony itself.

posted almost 10 years ago

Irigi‭

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