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SpaceX also does it 40% cheaper with over 38% MORE personnel. You'd think the ULA would be able to reduce costs with all these successful launches. I have a sne
by Evolved 10y ago
SpaceX also does it 40% cheaper with over 38% MORE personnel. You'd think the ULA would be able to reduce costs with all these successful launches. I have a sneaking suspicion they increase the cost each time using the rationalization of, "look how many successful launches we have. You're paying for reliability."
- simonh 10y agoTo be fair SpaceX actually build all of their rocket parts themselves from scratch. ULA just assembles them from parts made by third parties, including the Russian engines.
- greedo 10y agoI don't think this is accurate. With the CRS-7 failure, Musk commented on how they hadn't adequately verified component integrity from a 3rd party supplier.
- simonh 10y agoThat's true +1. I'm sure they don't make every integrated circuit and piece of electrical wire. My general point still stands, ULA do much less manufacturing in house by a very large margin.
- lutorm 10y agoIt's not accurate; they don't build all parts, just most of them.
- wolf550e 10y agoThe unverified components were steel rods. SpaceX manufacture most of the complicated parts, but they buy nuts and bolts. Also, the steel rods were checked, but only statistically, not each one. 1 in more than a thousand failed at 5 times lower than its design strength.