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Indeed. You sometime see an argument that launch to space is expensive because of the propellant and therefore energy required. And as you note this argument
by pfdietz 2y ago
Indeed. You sometime see an argument that launch to space is expensive because of the propellant and therefore energy required. And as you note this argument is utterly wrong.
- throwaway4aday 2y agonot sure how anyone can miss the "throwing away the airplane" part as being the cost driver.
- pfdietz 2y agoIt's the same cognitive error as thinking nuclear energy must be cheap because the fuel is cheap.
- TMWNN 2y ago>And as you note this argument is utterly wrong. Am I mistaken, or are there distance/payload combinations for which Starship is cheaper per pound on a point-to-point basis than air transport, even setting aside 30 minutes versus 12 hours? Isn't that the non-intuitive outcome of ballistic trajectories?
- adastra22 2y agoNo. But it gets within an order of magnitude, which is remarkable. Economy class on starship could be priced similar to first class tickets on transoceanic flights.