A company XYZ is considering manufacturing a product in space. The project lifetime is 10 years and has the following consecutive phases: • Phase 1 (years 1 to 3): The engineering design and development requires 3 years. No production is done during this period • Phase 2 (years 4 to 10): to launch the spacecraft into orbit, operate the equipment from the ground by remote control, and recover the spacecraft with the product. This phase is completed in one year, and will be repeated for the next 6 years for a total of 7 launches. All costs are paid at the end of each year. What is the present worth of all disbursements and receipts during the life time of the project, evaluated at the beginning of the first year, if the project has the following costs: • Phase 1 labor $2650000 (per year paid at the end of each year) • Phase 1 Material $640000 (paid at the end of the first year only • Phase 2 -years 4 to 10, all costs are paid at the end of each year and include: o Launch $7300000 o Insurance $580000 o Labor $1800000 o Material $830000 The project makes an annual income of $11000000 as a result of sales in phase 2.
Hint: The present value of the net cash flow of phase 2, evaluated at the beginning of first year, must be greater than the sum of the present worth of labor and material costs of phase 1, also evaluated at the beginning of first year. The difference would be the answer to this problem. Make sure to include the sign (-) if the answer is negative.
Remember, if the present worth of all disbursements and receipts is positive, the company will make at least 25% annual return on this investment.