launch cost per kg comparison launch cost per kg comparison

Handbook of Space Engineering, Archaeology, and Heritage by Ann Darrin, Beth L. O'Leary, page 116, Comparison of solid-fueled orbital launch systems, NASA, Saturn V News Reference, Appendix: Saturn V Flight History (1968), Comparison of space station cargo vehicles, "Mass of initial SN ships will be a little high & Isp a little low, but, over time, it will be ~150t to LEO fully reusable", Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center, "Russia launches first orbital Angara 1.2 rocket with military payload", "Ariane 5 sets new record on latest launch", "We are calling the config N22. For a suborbital trip on Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo and Blue Origin's New Shepard, seats typically cost $250,000 to $500,000. Here again, the Falcon 9 leads the pack. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Space Transportation Costs: Trends in Price Per Pound to Orbit 1990-2000, "As of 2003, the average launch cost/lb of payload in the U.S for small, medium, and heavy launches was $8,445, $4,994, and $4,440 respectively." Sign up here if you are not already subscribed to our blog. If you havent already, please consult ourSpaceFund Reality (SFR) ratings page to learn more about the rating, its purpose, and the underlying formula, as well as to view a complete list of the SpaceFund sectors of interest. $13/kg works out to about $2,000,000/flight for a 150kg 150,000kg payload. NASAs Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program, https://aerospace.csis.org/data/space-launch-to-low-earth-orbit-how-much-does-it-cost/, McClesky and Zapata, Designing for Annual Spacelift Performance, 2017, McClesky, Space Shuttle Operations and Infrastructure: A Systems Analysis of Design Root Causes and Effects , NASA/TP 2005211519, Fastrac engine. The GTO per-kilo launch cost estimates shown in the second graphic are calculated using the lower end of any GTO payload and cost-per-launch estimate ranges provided in the FAA report.The SpaceX optimal values in the third graphic are based on the Falcon 9 launch cost and the maximum Dragon capsule, as listed on the company's website, plus the weight of the Dragon capsule from a company brochure. Ariane 6 vs. SpaceX: How the rockets stack up - Inverse Below is a detailed database of over 100 launch companies from all over the world. Other advances in the future may include lighter materials, the use of inflatable modules, new fuel types, space planes and/or more efficient engines. Thatd be revolutionary if thats true. If youd like to search within a specific column, use the search box at the bottom of that column. Answer (1 of 8): How much cheaper are SpaceX reusable rockets? But unlike during the early days of NASA preeminence, the rocket launch business over the past few years has matured into one where dozens of private companies around the globe are racing to see how cheaply they can send material into space. Important Note (Companies not Vehicles): This database, and the SpaceFund Reality ratings, are based on COMPANIES, not launch vehicles. Traditionally, access to space has been extremely expensive. ", "Potentially, we're talking about just a few dollars per kg with the elevator." That means their user price is about $0.20/GB (although they only start enforcing a cap. Where in the space economy ecosystem does one draw the line to think about Space for Space? Among the 10 most-launched rockets, the most affordable on a per-kilogram basis are SpaceXs Falcon 9 and Roscosmos Proton M, both able to lift 20,000 kilograms (44,092 pounds) or more, according to a recent Federal Aviation Administration report. Granted, were assuming they wont reach that level until they are flying multiple flights per day. Michael is a longtime AllTheScience contributor who specializes in topics relating to paleontology, Click on theblackbuttons below to view the available SFR databases. Such an approach would also require acceleration-resistant payloads, as the accelerations on the payload would be in the range of thousands of gravities. Society & Demographics Vega-C is a single body rocket nearly 35 m high with a mass at liftoff of 210 tonnes. The key innovation that enabled the space shuttle to be reusable was also the reason it was so complex to maintain. These innovations for very small and very large payload vehicles have led to lower costs for the launch industry as a whole. After the announcement of the eight per cent . He has also worked for the ULA touts new Vulcan rocket in competition with SpaceX Browse Google Shopping to find the products you're looking for, track & compare prices, and decide where to buy online or in store. They hit their design goals, but flights remain relatively low, like hundreds of flights per year instead of thousands. Below is a detailed database of over 100 launch companies from all over the world. Survival of the Fittest: Saturation in the Space Launch Industry The cost per kilogram of Starship for low-earth orbit is $10 compared to $65,400 for the 1981-debuted Space Shuttle Columbia, which was the most expensive among the five launch vehicles Science . Launch costs can be reduced somewhat by using reusable launch vehicles, but the poor cost performance of the reuseable Space Shuttle has caused many to question this idea. (Hot fire is the vernacular for lighting a rocket engine combustor. All those hidden cost personnel hours to refurbish contribute to 90% of a reusable vehicles launch costs, as shown in the famous iceberg chart below. The corresponding . Search: To search within the entire table, simply type your query into the search area at the top right of the table. It also uses only around $1 per kg on launch energy - significantly less than a traditional rocket launch, and can be operated at high-frequency, with over 10 launches per day. SpaceX's currently advertised prices come out to as low as $4,700/kg for the existing Falcon 9 and $1,700 for the future Falcon Heavy. Falcon 9 NAFCOM Updated Cost Estimate Comparison Updated (Cost Plus Fee Vs. Firm Fixed Price) Firm Fixed Price Acquisition Cost Plus Fee Acquisition Weight DDT&E 2 Test Flt Units Total DDT&E 2 Test Flt Units Total Elements (()lbs) (FY2010 $$)M) (FY2010 $$)M) (FY2010 $$)M) (FY2010 $$)M) (FY2010 $$)M) (FY2010 $$)M) SpaceX's website previously listed the cost of a Falcon 9 launch at $62 million. Unit prices for groceries | ACCC The New Rockets Racing to Make Space Affordable - Bloomberg.com But a Chinese official told me in 2019 that improved processes and high production rates had driven the cost of CASC's launches down in recent years to about US$50 million from US$70 million. PDF Falcon 9 Vehicle NAFCOM Estimates - nasa.gov Click a launch Is further launch cost reduction worth sitting in a holding pattern for many months while enough ride-share partners join? For a fully expendable variant of the rocket, which can lift a theoretical maximum of 64 tons to low-Earth orbit, the price . PDF The Recent Large Reduction in Space Launch Cost - TDL If one needed repair, it was done by hand. Believe it or not, taxpayer-funded R&D laid some of the groundwork for high operability rockets. If the average person weighs 62 kg, itd be just $806 to transport just their body weight alone, not including other factors of course, but thats still really cheap for space flight. The Space Launch System won't come cheap. This means that it would cost about one more USD per kg to launch. GTO payload is 5,550 kg when the first stage lands downrange on a drone ship (ASDS). Additionally, one rocket exploded on the launch pad in 2016. A Falcon Heavy launch vehicle from SpaceX. (The space shuttle cost about $1.5 billion per mission, including development,. Curious About Investing in Rockets? Rocket Lab vs Astra Rocket variants are not distinguished; i.e., the Atlas V series is only counted once for all its configurations 401431, 501551, 552, and N22. Is there another model for how to think about the future of launch? SpaceX vs. NASA: Cost - Medium Each bubble is Last year, globally, there were 114 total rocket launches [per BryceTechs 2020 Orbital Launch Year in Review report]. In the coming months we will post SFR ratings for companies from all of these sectors, providing a robust overview of the state of frontier-enabling companies across the industry. NASA SLS vs Starship: Size, launch price, thrust, and capabilities for Clearly, this makes activities in space expensive. Due to the nature of this table format, and to ensure that the columns sort properly, a numeric character must be included in each cell. Units may be by weight, volume, length, area or number. Aerospace professionals were skeptical of SpaceXs cost numbers because the only reusable launch vehicle they had data for was the space shuttle as seen in the chart below, reusable rockets werent always cheap! Audacious & Outrageous: Space Elevators, 2017 Official SpaceX Photos (Bangabandhu Satellite-1 Mission) [CC0 or CC0], via Wikimedia Commons. Among the 10 most-launched rockets, the most affordable on a per-kilogram basis are SpaceX 's Falcon 9 and Roscosmos ' Proton M, both able to lift 20,000 kilograms (44,092 pounds) or more,. The Falcon Heavy rocket, with reusable side boosters, costs $90 million. The per-kilo launch cost estimates are calculated using these lower estimates. No payload fairing with the Starliner on board", "Pair of Chinese launches put classified and commercial satellites into orbit", "Delta IV Launch Services User's Guide, June 2013", "Rocket Lab Increases Electron Payload Capacity, Enabling Interplanetary Missions and Reusability", "Epsilon a solid propellant launch vehicle for new age", "Falcon 9 launches to orbit 56 Starlink satellitesweighing in total more than 17.4 metric tonsmarking the heaviest payload ever flown on Falcon", "Iridium's SpaceX launch slowed by Vandenberg bottleneck", "Falcon-9 v1.2 (Block 5) (Falcon-9FT (Block 5))", "Launchpad Explosion Destroys SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket, Satellite in Florida", "Falcon-9 v1.2 (Block 5)(ex) (Falcon-9FT (Block 5)(ex))", "Side boosters landing on droneships & center expended is only ~10% performance penalty vs fully expended. The main cost parameter for launch systems cost is the number of flights per vehicle. Small launchers on the other hand cost more per kilogram than the other launchers but the launch frequency as well as the responsiveness are improved. Sometimes the government pays even more. Neglect the cost of the extension cord. If you have a very small satellite - like a Cubesat - there are. Some examples of standard units are: Beef: price per kilogram But it did fire its rocket engines many times without maintenance and it demonstrated the controls algorithms necessary for vertical landing. There is a consensus that a real breakthrough in decreasing launch costs will require using some new method to get to space. Archived from the original on 11 December 2019. SpaceX increased the cost of additional. The booster engine pack would jettison from the stage, deploy an inflatable re-entry heat shield, and eventually pop a parachute for helicopter recovery. NASAs LEO Opportunities: In-Space Production Applications, in-space manufacturing of large carbon fiber structures. That reliability is why the US government continued to pay handsomely for ULAs services. Latest blogs if we look at the price of comparable launch systems, we can see that in terms of kg delivered to LEO, the Falcon 9 is pretty good. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. My wild guess on initial pricing is something around 30 to 40,000,000 per flight which is about what the F9 sells for minus the manufacturing costs. However, prices continue to fall with each passing decade as new technologies are developed and the sector becomes more commercialised. From extremely expensive (200 000$/kg) for one way scientific missions, to a more recent estimate of 130$/kg for the SpaceX Mars plans, and even less for future transportation systems (link). For the simple list of all conventional launcher families, see: Comparison of orbital launchers families. Developing PROTEUS, an innovative hybrid and autonomous launcher for small sats, Providing launch services via HABs and sounding rockets, Long range heavy lift aircraft horizontal launches, Developing Infinity, a small reusable rocket, Developing high-performance, low carbon micro launch vehicles, Developing electromagnetic launch systems to change how we launch payloads into space, Developing a proposed "railway" to space that is safer, cheaper, and greener than rockets, Building a ballooning platform to offer novel access to the mesosphere, Aiming to provide affordable space tourism and rocket launch services, Dedicated to providing frequent and reliable space access, Disrupting space launch with a new kinetic launch system, Vertically launching low-cost orbital payloads from the UK, Designer of low-weight, low-cost satellites and small launching vehicles, SpaceBox is a suborbital launch and recovery platform designed to enable affordable access to space for educational, professional, consumer and hobbyist payloads, Making access to space widely available, less constrained and more efficient, Developing technology for cost effective, reliable, and frequent access to space, Developing the Otis electric vehicle for civil space transportation, Developing a solution for quick missions to LEO, Designing a single stage to orbit hypersonic vehicle of revolutionary design and propulsion capability, Building a single-stage to orbit launch system dedicated to small payloads, Developing an eco friendly, electromagnetic space launch system, Developing the Cheetah small launch vehicle, Aiming to provide orbital launches of small satellites for the most affordable prices, Rocketsan is developing a micro-satellite launch system for the Turkish government, Developing a reusable launch vehicle named Tianmeng, Working on a very low-cost Launcher to LEO, Building low cost, single stage and highly reusable launch vehicles, Customized launch services for sub-orbital and orbital payloads, Launching small satellites into space using high altitude balloons, Creating a dedicated, reusable, and low-cost suborbital rocket, Developing the UKs first commercially operated horizontal launch company for small to medium size satellites, Developing a hybrid, modular, affordable & air-launched rocket system that uses electric landing for reusability, Developing SOL ASPIRET, a suborbital spaceplane, Bringing about the next generation of low-cost, reusable launch vehicles, Developing a balloon-launched vehicle for smallsat payloads, Developing a unique seaborne launch system, Personalized engineering support and dedicated airborne orbital launch platform, Ultra low-cost rockets and satellite deployment, Revolutionizing near space tourism and opening it to a greater audience, Developing a reliable tow-glider launch system, Affordable and reliable small satellite launch system for LEO, SSO, and GEO missions, Developing a fleet of hybrid rockets for micro launch, Aiming to innovate space exploration technologies to deliver efficient and cost effective solutions for humanity, Developing single stage to orbit, fixed wing, hypersonic aircraft, Creating the small-sat launch vehicle of the future, Building light, two-stage rockets for small satellite launch, Cheaper access to space for nanosatellite payloads, Developing a novel, reusable hypersonic and space launch system, Developing exciting new space technologies, Developing a three-stage solid-propellant launch vehicle, Developing a reusable two-stage orbital-class launch vehicle, Striving to design, build, and launch rockets, in and from Canada, Developing the Phoenix small launch vehicle, Developing the Trans-Atmospheric Flight Vehicle (TAV 1), Hypersonic Delivery Systems: Suborbital & Orbital Missions, Developing suborbital and orbital launch vehicles, Developing a series of Launch Vehicles based on high-altitude air launch, Building a hypersonic space plane that can takeoff from anywhere in any weather, Developing the Space Jet air-launch platform, Developing a unique launch vehicle and propulsion system, Building a space launch system for sending hardened satellites and bulk cargo into space, Designing the Montenegro nanolauncher for launches at a very competitive price, The Dynamics Enhanced Launch Vehicle is designed for a life of over 400 reuses with very minimal maintenance and rapid turnarounds, Single Stage to Orbit (SSTO) rocket leveraging aerospike engine technology launching to low earth orbit, Providing rapid response small satellite launch vehicles for government and commercial customers, Provding dedicated launch services for cube and nanosatellites, Developing the Horizontal Takeoff Horizontal Landing (HTHL) AstroClipper for the future of commercial space transportation, Developing the Advanced Cryognic Expendable (ACE) launch vehicle, Developing a next generation of reusable launch vehicles for microgravity research. Retrieved 16 November 2022. For the list of predominantly solid-fueled orbital launch systems, see: Comparison of solid-fueled orbital launch systems. Not all booster stage reusability concepts require vertically landing the rocket. ), and Planetary On-Surface Transportation (robotic and human-supporting rovers). From its founding in 2002 to its first launch attempt in May 2006, SpaceX spent about $100 million developing the Falcon 1 rocket, which had a comparable lift capacity as LauncherOne of about one . Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Comcast per-month average user data usage is about 300GB/month. How were they able to make an affordable reusable launch vehicle? In the case where a single company has more than one launch vehicle, the data listed is for their largest vehicle. Damn I know what I'm spending my stimulus on. In fact, as announced earlier this week, RocketLab plans to catch Electron first stages with helicopters soon! Developing reusable launch vehicle technology for orbital payloads in China, Building up Canada's NewSpace industry as the first private launch provider in Canso, Nova Scotia, Launch services for small, micro and nano satellites, Developing the sea-launched Gravity-1 vehicle, Developing a fully-reusable suborbital spacecraft, Developing Blue Whale 1, a micro launch vehicle, Developing the re-usable Skylon spaceplane powered by SABRE propulsion, Offering hassle-free space transportation to dedicated orbits, Building technologies for responsive, reliable and economic access to space, Building a reusable three-person rocket ship for space tourism, Sugarhouse Aerospace is built on a simple idea - space shouldn't be reserved for governments and billionaires, Offering flexible launch capability with a cycle of less than thirty days to build, integrate, and launch, Developing scalable and sustainable space transportation technology to become the backbone of the near space economy, Committed to reducing the cost of entering space via reusable launch products, Providing passengers with a trip into the stratosphere, Selling reusable launch vehicles for small, sub-orbital scientific/experimental payloads, Developing the ERIS launch vehicles to provide reliable and cost-effective access to space, Applying autonomous technology to develop a resuable small rocket, Lowering the entry barriers to space and making space access affordable and sustainable, Buildig the Xogdor rocket to test payloads at supersonic speeds and at the edge of space, Building a private 3-stage nanosatellite launch vehicle in China, A Euro startup developing tech for suborbital & orbital launch services, dedicated to small payloads and nanosatellites, Integrated launch services for the Zenit Launch Vehicle via a mobile sea platform, Cost effective small satellite launch services from the United Kingdom, Commercializing new suborbital rocket technologies, Small satellite space launch via a kinetic launch system, Developing a zero-emission space tourism platform, Building rockets to launch small satellites, Commercial launch vehicle manufacturer and space launch provider in China, Developinig the world's first 100% reusable rocket, Developing the Firefly Alpha launch vehicle; highest payload performance with the lowest cost per kg to orbit in its vehicle class, Launching sratospheric balloons for research and promotional purposes, Offering commercial suborbital platforms for scientific research, commercial applications, and defense, Developing the Vega & Ariane launch vehicles, Providing routine launch access to Earth orbit for entrepreneurs and enterprises, Offers a range of sounding rockets, capable of flights up to 300km in multistage configurations, Lowering the cost of access to space with reusable launch vehicles, Balloons that lift anything from a few kilograms to several tons and are able to operate at an altitude as low as a few hundred metres or as high as 40 km, Developing the Ceres-1 and Pallas-1 launch vehicles, Designs, manufactures, and operates launch vehicles, propulsion systems, and satellites and related components, Developing suborbital rockets to proide access and research for traditional and New-Space markets, The first rocket company and launch site for cubesat payloads in New Zealand, SpaceX designs, manufactures, and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft, SSC designs sounding rocket vehicles, stratospheric balloon systems, and payloads, A joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Boeing, ULA produces the Vulcan, Atlas and Delta Launch Vehicle Families, UP Aerospace is a suborbital space launch and flight test service provider, Building a fleet of WhiteKnightTwo carrier aircraft and SpaceShipTwo reusable spaceships, The small payload orbital launch sister company to Virgin Galactic, The Stratollite is a remotely operated, navigable vehicle that can remain aloft for days, weeks, and months on end, iSpace is a Chinese private space launch company developing the Hyperbola rocket family, Launch vehicle manufacturer and launch services provider, Designing orbital-class launch vehicles that are autonomously constructed, Developing Dream Chaser, a multi-mission space utility vehicle designed to transport crew and cargo to low-Earth orbit, Formal press announcement confirming the company is no longer active, Website and all other media/materials are removed from the internet, Company re-classified (moved to a different SFR database), Website copyright has not been updated for 2+ years, No new company news/updates/press/social activity for 2+ years, No response after 2 weeks when contacted by SpaceFund via multiple channels. The notable technology achievements for the shuttle include the first ceramic tile-based heat shield and the first oxygen/hydrogen fuel-rich staged combustion cycle engine, the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME). We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Unit pricing helps consumers compare prices and find the best value for money. Journey through the history of rocket technology to build excitement for the future of the space economy. It's fully reusable, but ends up being relatively expensive to make, and requires somewhat regular refurbishment. Business & Politics these figures were calculated in the methodology section. Starship offers a dramatic increase in capacity and an associated predicted decrease in cost. The performance hit of optimizing a design for reusability translates into less payload and/or a lower orbit. The best way to update your information in this database is. Designed by NASA to be low-cost and reusable, it was the perfect starting point. We offer rideshare and dedicated launch opportunities at severe discounts to other launch providers, and can go from first conversation to launch in 18 months or less, Developing a range of sustainable, reusable launchers dedicated to the launch of small satellites, Developing vertical launch systems to provide the ability for the United Kingdom to effectively, reliably and affordably deliver satellites into orbit from the planned major UK vertical launch spaceports, Joint venture between Canon Electronics, IHI Aerospace, Shimizu, and Development Bank of Japan, SpaceRyde offers affordable, on-schedule, dedicated launch for small sats, Enabling the mass commercialization of space by moving beyond chemical rockets, Provides earth-to-space space delivery services for small payloads, Developing a cost-effective space launch system using cutting-edge, non-explosive hybrid rocket technologies, Developing a reactive, reliable and cost-efficient nano-launcher, Designing, manufacturing, and launching orbital-class launch vehicles, Orbital launch vehicles (rockets) and electric propulsion systems, Developing a unique line of rockets powered by bio-derived fuels to launch tiny satellites into space, Creating a reusable suborbital space complex for tourist flights into space, Providing launch services to LEO at an affordable cost, Green Launch is a technology created to revolutionize and expand our access to space, Bringing increased efficiency and flexibility to space launch through the use of cutting edge aerodynamic technology, Using clean tech to develop a sustainable and cheap rocket called Haribon SLS, Enabling Low cost access to space with the Aerospike engined reusable Small satellite launch vehicle "MESO", Using RAM-accelerators to change the economics of space launch, Pythom is creating a custom-built, two-person craft to explore Mars, Developing the Radian One spaceplane to carry people and cargo to and from orbit, Mass production of on-demand launchers for small sats, Designing a reusable, single-stage-to-orbit cruise vehicle, Developing reusable, medium and heavy orbital launch vehicles, Launcher manufacturer aimed at developing reusable vehicles for small payloads, Space Vector has launched 37 vehicles to date with program turnaround times as short as 8 months, Developing a sub-orbital spaceplane for scientific missions, Developing Black Ice, a fully reusable space plane initially optimized for cargo launch, Developng a revolutionarily light small launch vehicle, Developing Volanis, a series of hybrid small-launch vehicles operated from an ocean platform, WAGNER is a simple, reliable, low-cost launch systems company, Dedicated to providing affordable access to orbit for commercial and government payloads, Developing a small satellite launcher in cooperation with the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, Developing an orbital small launcher, powered by a unique, green hybrid propulsion technology, Developing hybrid small satellite launch vehicles, Privately developing rocket engines and suborbital launch vehicles in Japan.