An overnight stay on the ISS is so ridiculously expensive
How much does an overnight stay on the ISS cost per person? NASA has very specific figures on that.
Four civilians left for the ISS this week and have since arrived safely there. Hotel International Space Station has an unprecedented view, but how much does an overnight stay in the most secluded bed there is? Let’s say you’re unlikely to take a space nap in the near future.
The price of an overnight stay on the ISS
On Friday evening, three civilians and an ex-astronaut left for the ISS with space mission Ax-1. Elon Musk’s SpaceX facilitated the journey with a Falcon 9 thruster and a Dragon module for the passengers.
There are not just people on board the Dragon, but very rich people. According to TheVerge, each of the passengers pays roughly $55 million to fly to the space station. In other words, 1447 average annual incomes of a Dutch person. The prices that NASA charges are a good indication of why an overnight stay in the ISS is so incredibly expensive. Everything is included, including:
- Food and drink: $2000 per day per astronaut
- Supplies such as medicines, clothing and work equipment: $40 to $1500 per day per astronaut
- Food preparation and waste handling: $88,000 to $164,000 per day per astronaut
- Preparation and Planning: $4.8 million per mission
The biggest question mark is the cost of keeping the astronauts alive on the ISS, NASA says nothing about that. The space agency does not describe the price of things like oxygen, toilets and everything to do with tech.
