We Will Risk $100 Million, Chasing $1 Billion Until 2031, and the Biggest Wealth in the Next Decades — AMi, Part XVIII
This article is presenting the AMi Exploration program cost to start the asteroid mining operations and make the first billion until 2031. This is based on the budget calculation provided in the AMi Exploration White Paper, available on amiexploration.com
In our 24 years of existence, we trained, gained experience, developed the technologies and most importantly we developed the know-how to build aerospace technologies at the lowest possible cost, learning when and where to make compromises that will dramatically lower the cost yet keep the hardware reliable.
Initially, we operated in an unfavourable environment, with severe financial constraints generated by a severe economic crisis after the fall of Communism in Romania. Then, the idea of “investment” was almost non-existent, so we were forced to learn how to operate on a low budget.
ARCA is committed to make the AMi Exploration Program a reality by achieving great results with a reasonably small amount of funding.
We estimate that $100 million will be required between 2022 to 2027 to start mining operations. This amount is achievable for ARCA with the help of medium size investors, sponsors and donors.
A similar endeavour carried out by a government space agency would cost probably somewhere in the range of $7 billion.
It is our believe that asteroid-mining is going to happen on an extremely low budget, or it is not going to happen at all in the foreseeable future. If it does, it will help with other space colonisation plans as well. All at an extremely low budget. Not low cost, but extremely low budget.
In funding terms, ARCA’s plans to complete each successive milestone, one at a time. This is the same strategy that made it possible for us to develop the technologies we already have.
We’ve determined the development budget for the EcoRocket Heavy Propulsion Module for the first and second stages, including a test launch, at a total cost of $370.800.
The mass fabrication cost for a single Propulsion Module used for the EcoRocket Heavy’s first and second stages is estimated at a remarkable $40.000.
We’ve determined the development budget for the third stage of the EcoRocket Heavy Propulsion Module, including a test launch, at a total amount of $626.000.
The mass fabrication cost for a single unit of the EcoRocket Heavy Propulsion Module for the third stage, assuming fabrication maturity has been reached, is estimated at $66.000.
The table below presents the cost for the fabrication of an EcoRocket Heavy. Based on the total number of modules needed for the EcoRocket Heavy, the total cost of the Propulsion Modules for the first stage is 420 x $40.000 = $16.800.168. The total cost of the Propulsion Modules for the second stage is 90 x $40.000 = $3.600.036. Finally, the total cost of the Propulsion Modules needed for the third stage is 30 x $66.000 = $1.980.000. Thus, the money needed to fabricate all Propulsion Modules for the EcoRocket Heavy is $22.380.204.
Beside the cost associated to the fabrication of the Propulsion Modules for all three stages, we must add the cost for other elements, like the RCS systems for each stage, the avionics and the recovery systems for the first two stages, and those amount to a total of $163.730. Based on these two numbers, the money needed for the full EcoRocket Heavy fabrication is $22.543.934.
The table below details the launch cost for an EcoRocket, assuming the reuse of the first and second stages. Those make up 96% of the rocket’s structure mass. In this case, only the third stage is rebuilt, at a cost of $2.025.230, the cost of the propellant is $2.730.000, the launch license and insurance costs are $40.000, the third stage hardware transportation is $4.500 (the first two stages will remain at the naval base after the previous flight), propellant transportation comes in at $216.000, and the cost of the naval operations is $40.000, bringing everything to a total of $5.055.730.
The EcoRocket Heavy is designed exclusively to serve as a launch vehicle for the asteroid mining operations for the AMi Exploration program. However, if we will ever decide to perform commercial launch services with the EcoRocket Heavy, the launch cost will be $19.464.560. Taking into account that that vehicle can launch 24 tons into LEO, the cost/kg is $811.
The budget for the AMi Cargo development for asteroid-mining is $4.220.000.
The table below presents the cost of an AMi Cargo that has reached mass production level. The total is estimated at $692.973.
The budget needed for the development of the AMi Communication System that enables communication between the ARCA’s FCCC and the AMi Cargo is estimated at $5.120.000.
The table below presents the cost of a typical asteroid-mining mission.
After the first mission, we consider that all hardware reached the maturity level for mass production, and the cost of the next asteroid mining mission will reach $5.798.703.
The table below presents the overall budget for the AMi Exploration Program development and implementation between 2022 and 2031. We will raise that from external sources. The total is $207.329.789, including a 10% contingency to be used for potential overrun costs or hardware configuration upgrades.
If the contingency amount is not used, we will hold it as a strategic reserve for the development of the orbital depot.
The table below showcases the yearly budget distribution between 2022 and 2027. The AMi Exploration Program requires a total of $100.550.544 for the period. Between 2028 and 2031 the necessary is $106.779.245. The latter amount is covered by revenues from asteroid-mining operations and commercial exploitation of the orbital depot.
Now let’s take a look at estimated budget sources for the first six years, before the start of the asteroid-mining activity. These include sales of the AMiE Token, direct investments, sponsorships, merchandise sales, and volunteer work:
From this distribution we can see that no individual investment will exceed 25% of the total.
We do not aim to bring in institutional investments earlier than year four of the program, when the business value is much higher than the one at the start.
The AMi development program is financed through ARCA’s AMiE Crypto.
