The cost of the Apollo program, which supposedly landed a man on the moon, was estimated (by NASA) to cost $170 billion (adjusted for inflation.) Space exploration uses the brightest minds and the latest equipment, we have been told, which is why it is so expensive. In the end, landing a man on the moon or a rover on Mars supposedly makes the whole project worth it.

But what about the failed space missions? How much money goes into those projects? And who is held accountable when they fail? There have been so many of them in the past fifty years — these questions are certainly worth asking.

By Mack Maloney.