CHEAPER SPACE FLIGHTS DRIVING SPACE COMMERCIALIZATION 🚀 💰

Insightful graphic from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) , showing the "The Cost of Space Flight" between 1960 to the present, where costs have dropped from about $51,000/kg (Space Shuttle) to around $2720/kg (Falcon Heavy).

Clearly, SpaceX has been at the forefront of innovation to rethink the technology, reusability (over ten times reuse per rocket), and refurbishment of rockets. Now with SpaceX's recent hashtag#Mechazilla (grabbing the rocket as it returns to its launch pad), the drive towards the full commercialization is ON.

Other advancements driving the costs of space flight include:

👉 Advanced Materials & Manufacturing: stronger, lighter materials (such as carbon fibre composites), and advanced aluminium-lithium alloys have reduced spacecraft weight. 3D printing has also helped to create cheaper rocket parts quyicker, especially for more complex designs.

👉 Vertical Integration: SpaceX design, manufacture their own rockets and spacecraft, eliminating third-party contractors and increasing control of their supply chains.

👉 Standardization, modularization and mass production of rocket parts have allowed for better economies of scale.

👉 Improved launch cadence through optimized ground operations allows for better utilization of launch infrastructure and personnel, reducing costs per launch. 

👉 Automation: automated systems for launch sequence management, payload integration, and pre-flight checks reduce the need for manual labor and potential human error, leading to faster launch timelines. 

👉 Advanced data analysis tools to monitor rocket health, identify potential issues before they become critical, and optimize maintenance schedules can prevent costly delays and repairs

👉 Advancements in Propulsion Technologies: more efficient fuel types, better engines, and better reliability.