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Compare the cost of the payload and the launch vehicle. Those aren't even comparable. Worst case estimate for a single Ariane 5: 200 million €. Average launch
by imtringued 3y ago
Compare the cost of the payload and the launch vehicle. Those aren't even comparable.
Worst case estimate for a single Ariane 5: 200 million €.
Average launch cost for Space X: 50 million € (poorly researched I know)
The cost of the James Webb space telescope?
50 worst case Ariane 5 launches or 200 Space X launches.
I don't think the launch vehicle matters here.
- ethanbond 3y agoGreat way to approach the problem. As someone else mentioned, cheaper launches might adjust the overall risk/cost dynamics in the long run but yeah, this data point makes that seem like a stretch.
- max51 3y agoA big part of the high cost of the project is that they know they only get one and they want to get the most bang per kg of payload. Most of the cost was research, development and testing of new technologies. Building 10x JWST would not cost 10x what we paid for a single telescope. A single launch also means everything has to be perfect, there is no prototype in space, no second try and no learning from mistakes. The project would also probably have made drastically different design and management decisions if they knew in advance they were sending >5 units instead of one.
- ethanbond 3y agoWouldn’t most of that cost be baked into the launch rather than the payload though?
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]