Edinburgh tram project cost same as moon mission

And space experts said if it was binned years ago then officials could already have put a Scot on Mars.

The Saturn V, the largest and most powerful rocket ever built, cost $255m in 1968 – in today’s money this works out at $1.6bn or £1bn.

It was the rocket used in the Apollo 11 mission that allowed Neil Armstrong to walk on the moon in 1969.

It has emerged the trams project – already with an “astronomical” price-tag of £776m – will have a further £250m added to the bill in interest payments.

Edinburgh bosses suggested the comparison was unfair and said their focus was having the trams opening on time in summer 2014.