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Depends on the satellite. A cubesat is very cheap, a large commsat might be in the 100s of millions range, military surveillance satellites might be in the bil
by Symmetry 10y ago
Depends on the satellite. A cubesat is very cheap, a large commsat might be in the 100s of millions range, military surveillance satellites might be in the billions. But in general we should expect a world with cheaper launches to lead to an equilibrium where the average satellite gets less expensive.
- greglindahl 10y agoTo put this into perspective: the Planetary Society solar sail cubesats have a novel design, cost about $1 million apiece, and mass ~ 3kg. Falcon 9 costs about $12,000/kg for a GTO launch. The cubesat dispenser does have mass, but as you can see, the launch cost is still << satellite cost. Amateur radio cubesats, which use 100% volunteer labor, appear to cost ~ $50,000 for a 3kg satellite. Launch cost is significant for them.