As someone who worked for one of the partner companies in ULA... the price quoted by ULA is just the base cost for the rocket hardware. They then nickel and dim

As someone who worked for one of the partner companies in ULA... the price quoted by ULA is just the base cost for the rocket hardware. They then nickel and dime the government for all the various launch services as well (fueling, launch prep, payload installation, integration tests, mission control, etc.). It's a bit like the basic cost of an appendectomy being $1,500, but then the bill from the hospital includes a bed fee, a surgery prep fee, $15 per gauze used, etc. SpaceX's <$100m price print is all inclusive -- it is the full price you pay. No extra or hidden fees. The author is a little deceptive in that they quote the upper estimate rather than the average. They should have quoted the average cost. But to be clear I don't think that's nearly as deceptive as saying ULA's comparable cost is $140m.