INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
millionLaunch prices for NASA missions soared after the late 2000s, following the creation of United Launch Alliance through a merger of the
Atlas and Delta rocket programs developed by Lockheed Martin and Boeing
The merger eliminated competition for most of NASA's launch contracts until SpaceX's Falcon 9 became available for NASA science missions in
Here's a sample of missions as examples of the rising costs, with contract values adjusted for inflation from the time of their award to
So, how do SpaceX's more recent Falcon 9 prices compare? Let's take a look
booked to fly on SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket
Some of these contracts were awarded in the last 12 months, and those have not been adjusted for inflation
One is that SpaceX's Falcon Heavy, used for NASA's heaviest missions, costs more than a Falcon 9 rocket
For example, two identical weather satellites launched in 2022 and 2024 on ULA's Atlas V and SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket for $207 million
and $178 million, respectively, again adjusted for inflation.
