3 ms·
They expect each vehicle to cost $200m and to fly them 100 times each. Hence $2m per launch. Falcon 9 costs a lot more than that because the upper stage is expe
by simonh 5y ago
They expect each vehicle to cost $200m and to fly them 100 times each. Hence $2m per launch. Falcon 9 costs a lot more than that because the upper stage is expended each time and that costs mid single-digit millions, and the first stages may not last much beyond a few dozen launches without significant re-engineering which would also make them heavier.
- throwaway316943 5y agoBoy I hope they park them in orbit on the last launch and use them to build space habitats.
- rbanffy 5y agoThere was a plan to do that with shuttle tanks. If we used them, the ISS could have a humongous ring of habitable former tanks.
- Robotbeat 5y agoActually, Elon once told me that they might be able to build Starship launch vehicles for less than Falcon 9 (say about $80 million new): https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1094793664809689089?s=20 https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1094793664809689089?s=20 100 reuses is not the limit either. The first stage in particular may be made for a lot more.