Data · 2026
Every figure and where it came from
Every figure used in Edition 1, with its source and verification status. Figures marked under verification are those most likely to change.
| Figure | Value | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perseverance electrical output | ~100 W | NASA Science, Radioisotope Power Systems (MMRTG) | Verified |
| Curiosity electrical output | ~100 W | NASA Science, Radioisotope Power Systems (MMRTG) | Verified |
| Perseverance autonomous traverse fraction | ~90% | Ono et al., Planetary Exploration 3.0 | Verified |
| AEGIS first deployment | 2010 | Ono et al., Planetary Exploration 3.0 | Verified |
| Voyager 1 electrical output | ~225 W | NASA Science, Radioisotope Power Systems | Verified |
| Voyager 2 electrical output | ~225 W | NASA Science, Radioisotope Power Systems | Verified |
| Queqiao-2 spacecraft power | 1,350 W | Mission documentation | Verified |
| P_auto — total autonomous power | ~200 W | Perseverance + Curiosity, per the counting rule | Verified |
| Expansion Stage | E0.77 | log₁₀(200) / 3 | Verified |
| Mars and lunar orbiter subtotal | ~12 kW | Assembled from individual mission ratings | Estimated |
| Probes in transit subtotal | ~14 kW | Assembled from individual mission ratings | Estimated |
| Total power beyond Earth orbit | ~30 kW | Sum of the subtotals above | Estimated |
| Earth-orbit satellite power (excluded) | ~75 MW | Industry aggregate; recorded to justify the exclusion | Estimated |
| Bodies held (B) | 3 | Moon, Mars, Jupiter | Verified |
| Missions to establish the Moon | ~24 | Planetary Society catalogs, counted to ALSEP, 1969 | Under verification |
| Missions to establish Mars | ~7 | Planetary Society catalogs, counted to Viking 1, 1976 | Under verification |
| Missions to establish Jupiter | ~5 | Counted to Galileo orbit insertion, 1995 | Under verification |
| Price of a world (m) | 12 | 36 / 3 | Under verification |
| Juno operating status, 2026 | — | NASA mission pages | Under verification |
| MAVEN operating status, 2026 | — | NASA mission pages | Under verification |
| Mars campaign mission count | 22 | Ono et al.; should be quoted from source, not reconstructed | Under verification |
| Public disbelief in settlement within 50 years | ~2 in 3 | Pew Research Center, 2018 and 2023 | Verified |
Establishment dates are the largest open question in this edition. Choosing Luna 9 (1966) rather than ALSEP (1969) as the Moon's establishment point changes its price materially, and therefore changes m.
Recomputing this yourself
The repository holds the raw figures and the arithmetic that turns them into the two headline numbers. Both calculations are short enough to verify by hand.
github.com/R1S7/Space-Progress-Initiative-Report
If a figure here is wrong, open an issue. Accepted corrections are recorded in the corrections log with the date, what changed, and who found it.
Sources
- Ono, M., Selva, D., Cable, M. L., Chung, S.-J., Manchester, Z., Yue, Y., Zacny, K., et al. Planetary Exploration 3.0: A Roadmap for Software-Defined, Radically Adaptive Space Systems. arXiv:2604.20910, 22 April 2026.
- Kardashev, N. S. “Transmission of Information by Extraterrestrial Civilizations.” Soviet Astronomy 8, 1964.
- NASA Science, Radioisotope Power Systems. NASA and ESA mission pages.
- The Planetary Society mission catalogs.
- Pew Research Center, “Americans' Views of Space,” 2018 and 2023.