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Top 10 Most Expensive Scientific Experiments
By Balogun Kamilu Lekan
1. International Space Station – $150 Billion
A collaboration between numerous space agencies, notably NASA, Roscosmos, JAXA, ESA, and CSA, resulted in the International Space Station (ISS). It is outfitted with state-of-the-art scientific equipment and facilities and circles the Earth at a height of 408 kilometres.
Since its launch in 2000, the International Space Station has been home to a crew of astronauts from many nations, serving as a testament to global cooperation. The station is constantly being updated with new modules and apparatus.
It is powered by sizable solar panels. The International Space Station (ISS), whose overall building expenditures were estimated to be $150 billion, is a significant advancement in space exploration and a useful tool for scientific research.
2. Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository – $96 billion
The Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository is a proposed nuclear waste storage site in Nevada. To prevent radioactive discharge, the waste would be held underground in steel canisters surrounded by many levels of barriers.
Despite its designation, the project has experienced criticism, technical challenges, and administrative hurdles.
The project’s future remains to be determined, as does the issue of safely disposing of the country’s rising volume of radioactive waste created by nuclear power reactors. According to the US Department of Energy, it might cost up to $96 billion.
3. International Fusion Experiment(ITER) – $12.8 billion
The International Fusion Experiment, also known as ITER, is a multinational project demonstrating the feasibility of fusion as a source of limitless, safe and environmentally friendly energy. The project is being constructed in the south of France and involves 35 countries, including the European Union, the United States, Russia, China, India, and Japan. ITER uses a tokamak design to confine hot plasma in magnetic fields and is expected to produce its first plasma in 2025, with full fusion power expected by 2035. The success of ITER would mark a major milestone in the quest for fusion energy.
4. Global Positioning System – $12 billion
The Global Positioning System (GPS) was developed by the United States Air Force and became available to the general public in the 1980s. It’s easy to forget how extraordinary a project was, given how much we now utilize it in our daily lives.
GPS is a satellite-based radio navigation system that gives geolocation and time information anywhere on the earth at any time. The satellites cost $12 billion to launch into space, and the system costs around $2 million daily.
5. James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) – $9.66 billion
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a space observatory project. It is a collaboration between NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).
JWST cost $9.66 billion. It is projected to replace Hubble Space Telescope at the second Lagrange point (L2). It has a 6.5-meter primary mirror and will observe the universe in infrared wavelengths to study the formation of galaxies, stars, and planetary systems. JWST promises to be a game-changer in astronomy, offering unprecedented views of the cosmos.
6. Copernicus – $7.4 billion
The Copernicus program is a large-scale Earth observation and monitoring system developed by the European Union (EU). The project is designed to provide a continuous flow of reliable and up-to-date information about the state of the planet, its environment, and its resources. observations, and in-situ measurements.
It covers various environmental domains, including climate change, air and water quality, soil, forestry, marine environment, and more. The main goal of the Copernicus program is to provide decision-makers with the information they need to address environmental challenges, support sustainable development, and improve the quality of life for Europeans and people around the world.
It was estimated to cost $7.4 billion.
7. Human Genome Project – $5 billion
The Human Genome Project was a groundbreaking international research effort that sought to determine the full DNA sequence of the human genome. It was founded in 1990 to map the human genome’s estimated 20,000-25,000 genes and understand their functions.
The research was finished in 2003 and yielded a lot of information on humanity’s genetic makeup. Information from this project has been used in genomics and has also been utilized to generate novel diagnostic tools, individualized treatments, and other discoveries in health and industry.
The Human Genome Project is widely regarded as one of the greatest scientific achievements of the twentieth century.
8. Large Hadron Collider – $5 billion
The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is the world’s largest and most powerful particle accelerator, located at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) near Geneva, Switzerland.
It was built to explore the smallest building blocks of matter and the fundamental forces that hold them together. The LHC collides beams of particles, such as protons, close to the speed of light to produce high-energy collisions. These collisions allow scientists to study the properties of particles and forces that govern the universe.
The LHC has recorded several groundbreaking discoveries, including the Higgs boson particle, believed to give other particles mass. The LHC continues to operate and provide new insights into the nature of the universe.
9. EarthScope – $197 million
EarthScope is a large-scale geophysical observatory project in the United States that aims to advance our understanding of the North American continent and its geological processes. It was launched in 2003 and is funded by the National Science Foundation.
The EarthScope consists of two main components: the Transportable Array, a network of 400 portable seismographic stations deployed across the United States, and the USArray, a series of more than 2000 seismographic stations being gradually deployed in a rolling fashion across the country.
The data collected by EarthScope studies various geological processes, including earthquakes, volcanic activity, and the structure of the Earth’s crust.
The project is funded by the National Science Foundation and requires $197 million to build
10. Advanced Light Source (ALS) – $99.5 million
The Advanced Light Source (ALS) is a synchrotron light source in California, USA. It produces intense beams of light for scientific research. The ALS uses particle accelerators to produce high-energy electrons, which emit intense light to study material structures at the atomic and molecular levels.
Funded by the US Department of Energy’s Office of Science, the exact cost of the ALS is difficult to estimate. The particle accelerator cost $99.5 million to build for its construction and initial operation. The ALS has been crucial for numerous scientific discoveries and technological advancements.
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The information in this article was curated from online sources. NewsWireNGR or its editorial team cannot independently verify all details.
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