Cost of MSL Curiosity
The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity project cost $2.53 billion, of which $2.42 billion was for spacecraft development and launch, and $116 million was for 98 weeks of operations during its primary mission. After beginning its extended mission in 2014, Curiosity's annual operations costs are, on average, $62 million per year, when adjusted for inflation.
MSL Curiosity accounted for 0.0085% of all spending by the United States during the 12-year period covering its development and prime mission.
Development & Launch | $2.42 billion |
Prime Mission Operations (98 weeks) | $116 million |
Total | $2.53 billion |
Extended mission operations (avg) | $62.5 million / year (inflation adjusted) |
Raw data available in Planetary Exploration Budget Dataset.