How much is the launch cost of SpaceX's space rocket cheap?

ByPenn State

SpaceX's space rocket is a design that is less expensive than existing space rockets and is reusable rather than disposable, so if "re-launch" is put into practical useHalf of the conventional rocket launch costIt is announced that it can realize. The United States Air Force in previous years, disposable rocket of the United Launch Alliance (ULA) "Atlas V"Delta IV"SpaceX has been found to be able to launch a space rocket at about a fifth of the cost of ULA.

Air Force budget reveals how much SpaceX undercuts launch prices | Ars Technica
https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/06/air-force-budget-reveals-how-much-spacex-undercuts-launch-prices/


In 2014 the US Government Board of Audit and Inspection reports a report on the cost estimate of the US Air Force's space rocket launch program. At that time, the United Launch Alliance (ULA) was fully adopted in this program, monopoly continued, but the breakdown of ULA's launch price in the report was unclear in the report It was criticizing that it was. It is said that SpaceX appealed to the US government at a low cost that the space satellite could be launched at the same time, but it seems that it was difficult to accurately compare costs with ULA's opaque report.

In recent years SpaceX has been "Falcon 9"As a practical alternative, criticism is raised against the existence of" ULA's uncertain and massive space rocket launch costs "among the budget of the US Air Force that is covered by tax That is why.

The US Air Force has announced a budget estimate from the year 2018 to the beginning of 2020. The maximum cost per rocket launch carried out in 2020 is 422 million dollars (about 47 billion yen), in the latter half of the same year 4 We estimate that it will be 242 million dollars (about 47.2 billion yen). This is not an estimate by ULA, so it seems that it is not an exact amount, but it shows that huge cost comes from the budget of the US Air Force. Already the ULA monopoly status in the US Air Force has come to an end and competition with SpaceX has started.

For example, in 2016 the US Air Force contracted with SpaceX and launched GPS satellites into space with a cost of $ 83 million (about 9.2 billion yen). Furthermore, the same launch program is carried out in March 2017 at 96.5 million dollars (about 10.7 billion yen). When comparing this cost with the estimated maximum cost of rocket launch of the US Air Force in 2020, although it is not directly comparable, SpaceX's launch cost is about one fifth of ULA. In addition, we normally set up a service contract that costs additional thousands of dollars for launching a military rocket, but we will sell the Falcon 9 commercial launch frame at a price of $ 65 million (about 7.2 billion yen) SpaceX which is in SpaceX could discount the additional cost of launching a military rocket to destroy rivals and it is expected that the launch cost of the exclusive rocket launch market will decline sharply.

ByNASA Kennedy