4 ms·
The Atlas V which launched Curiosity weighs ~300 tons, which bounds its fuel cost at ~$300,000 (at $1/kg).
by uvdiv 14y ago
The Atlas V which launched Curiosity weighs ~300 tons, which bounds its fuel cost at ~$300,000 (at $1/kg).
- Uchikoma 14y agoCuriosity: Where is the $1/kg cost from?
- uvdiv 14y agoRP-1 is kerosene, so by analogy with other petroleum fuels.
- Uchikoma 14y agoI couldn't find a price, W tells me: "All told, the final product is more expensive than straight-run kerosene. On paper, any petroleum can produce some RP-1 with enough processing. In practice, the fuel is sourced from a small number of oil fields with high-quality base stock. This, coupled with small demand in a niche market compared to other petroleum users, drives the price."