A week ago an unmanned Russian Progress supply ship docked with the ISS. It was late, because a technical glitch occurred on the first try a couple of days earlier.
These Progress modules make roughly four trips annually to the ISS and they carry supplies for the crewmembers. On this occasion the module was carrying 2,600 kg of fuel, food and water for the six astronauts currently on the ISS. Each of these resupply flights costs tens of millions of dollars.
Somehow, something is wrong here. When we go to the store for supplies, the cost for six people for three months is several hundred dollars.
The cost of transportation to and from the store is typically a few dollars. All together, we will spend maybe a thousand dollars. So, why does it cost so much to feed the astronauts?
The underlying reason is simply that each time a module is sent to the station, it is a brand new vehicle. When the supplies arrive at the ISS, the module is unloaded and refilled with trash.
It is then released and de-orbited for disposal. The cost of the supplies is essentially zero, but the transportation is the budget killer. Imagine having to buy a new car every time you went shopping, and then junking it when you got home.
Unfortunately, this is not the only illogical part of the space program. When the Space Shuttle soon retires, every launch vehicle will be a throw away after one flight. Somehow, after 50 years, the space program is taking a giant step backwards. Launch vehicles should be reusable, just as are most transportation devices.
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