>>11707490Educated capable people expect high salaries and big work requires loads of them. Then nowadays the company needs 20% diversity hires and office folk. Some companies have 2 or 3 admins for every real working scientist. You mention Mars I'm thinking of the old legacy ULA spaceflight companies when I say that.
Elon Musk said a few years ago that right now we couldn't make a colony on Mars for infinite money and although large strides have been made recently it's still largely true. Although I'm confident they will by 2025.
SpaceX is low paying and streamlined for an Aerospace company but it still comprises of 8000 employees who earn well over minimum wage. Usually for or five times over. Workforce alone is expensive. Then you've got property. Equipment (owned and hired). Fuel. Material. Waste management. Transport. etc etc.
It's expensive.
