seanflyon t1_iubs8x8 wrote on October 30, 2022 at 2:58 AM

Reply to comment by wbruce098 in Amazon may have to turn to SpaceX for help launching its Starlink rival service by Soupjoe5

We don't know the exact internal cost to SpaceX to launch a Falcon 9, but it is somewhere around $30 million. Each launch can put up 60 Starlink satellites, so that is around half a million each. Anyone can buy launches for much less than $5k/lb, that would be $185 million for a reusable F9 or $250 million for an expendable F9.

Your napkin-math estimates are too high.

wbruce098 t1_iuconj0 wrote on October 30, 2022 at 9:34 AM

NASA had reported they were paying closer to $9k/lb with SpaceX but that could’ve been older data. Like I said, I saw a different price on every website I looked 😅

swd120 t1_iudmarh wrote on October 30, 2022 at 3:11 PM

NASA also pays an inflated cost from extra requirements then put on the launch. If they just purchase ootb launches it would be much cheaper.

seanflyon t1_iuektkz wrote on October 30, 2022 at 7:03 PM

You definitely have something mixed up. Maybe you are thinking of sending cargo in a Dragon capsule to the ISS.