50 billion, what could that do in China? It could build an aircraft carrier, just the bare ship.
The executive committee approved 50 billion for the Dawn plan, partly influenced by America's extravagant exchange of one nuclear-powered aircraft carrier for a Saturn V rocket last century, feeling that it was worth it to spend the cost of an aircraft carrier to land on the Moon sooner.
As a result, the 909 project was slated to take away another 50 billion, and the Third Academy reported that the entire project plan would require at least 100 billion.
At least, meaning there will definitely be cost overruns.
The main reason for the high cost was the H2 spacecraft.
When Xinyuan Company received an inquiry from the military about pricing the H2, they did not quote a price immediately, because even they were unclear about the manufacturing cost of the nuclear propulsion version of the H2. It took some effort before they could provide an estimated price.
