NASA already has enough funding to do lunar and mars manned missions now. Instead they've decided to build the SLS, which is a huge pork filled gift to the sta

NASA already has enough funding to do lunar and mars manned missions now. Instead they've decided to build the SLS, which is a huge pork filled gift to the state of Alabama and contractors like Boeing. The SLS will cost over $10,000 per lb of cargo to lift things into orbit, and that doesn't count it's $20B+ in development costs. With development and annual infrastructure operating costs, the first 10 launches of the SLS are going to cost well over $30B. The Falcon Heavy's first launch is January, two years ahead of the SLS. It's cost per pound of cargo is going to be close to $500/lb. And it's just the first of a series of privately developed heavy lift launch vehicles under development (Falcon Heavy, Blue Origin New Glenn, BFR, etc), all of which will be at least 10x less expensive than the SLS because none of them are going to be burned up and tossed in the ocean after every flight!