The Martian Chronicles: $700 Billion Dollars

While Washington squabbles over the $700 billion bailout, The Martian Chronicles, a science blog, presents some interesting numbers, for $700 billion is equal to:

• 5 Apollo Programs (at ~$135 billion inflation-adjusted dollars for entire program from conception to cancellation)

• 40 times NASA’s budget ($17.3 billion)

• 116 times budget of National Science Foundation (~$6 billion)

• 214 Cassini-Huygens missions (at ~$3.26 billion apiece)

• 538 space shuttle launches (averaging ~$1.3 billion per launch)

• 1,750 MER rovers (based on ~$800 million cost to build, launch, and operate both rovers for 90 days)