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I'm sure there's a lot of information that could paint a more complete picture, but here's a start. According to NASA[1], a shuttle launch cost $450 million on

by csixty4 14y ago

I'm sure there's a lot of information that could paint a more complete picture, but here's a start. According to NASA[1], a shuttle launch cost $450 million on average. Their contract with SpaceX covers 12 launches for $1.6 billion[2], or roughly $133 million per launch. SpaceX also received $75 million from NASA to develop a crewed version of the Dragon capsule. I'm sure NASA has made other payments to SpaceX over the years, but even if those payments totaled a couple billion it's still cheaper than 12 Shuttle launches just to supply the ISS. According to Wikipedia[3], the Falcon 9 rocket itself costs half as much as an Atlas V. [1] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/about/information/shuttle_faq.html#10 http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/about/information/shuttl... [2] http://www.space.com/13012-nasa-unveils-private-space-taxi-contract.html http://www.space.com/13012-nasa-unveils-private-space-taxi-c... [3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_orbital_launch_systems http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_orbital_launch_sy...

jamesaguilar 14y ago
If a shuttle launch and a Dragon launch have the same utility, what you say is true, but the shuttle can carry a lot more cargo. For example, the Dragon is nowhere near large enough to carry a full space station module. I'm not sure that this renders what you said false, but there's a lot more to it than this.
- InclinedPlane 14y ago
  That's a bit of a red herring. In terms of specific utility for cargo delivery / return they are actually fairly comparable, in cost at least. Dragon will probably pull ahead as they load it with more cargo in later flights using the upgraded Falcon 9 v1.1. In terms of space station modules, any new modules are more likely to be delivered in standalone launches from an expendable vehicle (such as the Falcon Heavy). Although, the SpaceX CRS-8 mission is expected to deliver the Bigelow Expandable Activity module, but it's a fairly tiny module.
- deleted 14y ago
  [deleted]
InclinedPlane 14y ago
The $450 million / flight cost for a Shuttle is a fantasy, it's a hypothetical sort of best-case cost. Over the lifetime of the program the actual cost was $1.5 billion.

by csixty4 14y ago

jamesaguilar 14y ago

If a shuttle launch and a Dragon launch have the same utility, what you say is true, but the shuttle can carry a lot more cargo. For example, the Dragon is nowhere near large enough to carry a full space station module. I'm not sure that this renders what you said false, but there's a lot more to it than this.

InclinedPlane 14y ago
That's a bit of a red herring. In terms of specific utility for cargo delivery / return they are actually fairly comparable, in cost at least. Dragon will probably pull ahead as they load it with more cargo in later flights using the upgraded Falcon 9 v1.1. In terms of space station modules, any new modules are more likely to be delivered in standalone launches from an expendable vehicle (such as the Falcon Heavy). Although, the SpaceX CRS-8 mission is expected to deliver the Bigelow Expandable Activity module, but it's a fairly tiny module.
deleted 14y ago
[deleted]

InclinedPlane 14y ago

The $450 million / flight cost for a Shuttle is a fantasy, it's a hypothetical sort of best-case cost. Over the lifetime of the program the actual cost was $1.5 billion.