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SpaceX's Falcon 9 surpasses NASA's space program in efficiency, achieving 30 times higher flight rate at a fraction of the cost
Until relatively recently, the mere idea of launching the same rocket into space multiple times in a single weekend was the stuff of science fiction. However, that all changed on June 4, 2010, with the first launch of SpaceX's Falcon 9. Since then, Elon Musk's company has continued to make history in the space industry. This year, he was left without rivals.
Recent milestones. The portal ArsTechnica reported last weekend that SpaceX had reached a new level of efficiency with its Falcon 9, achieving 400 successful missions and 375 booster recoveries to date.
From Falcon 9 to space dominance
In November, the company set a record for reusability time by launching a booster just 13 days and 12 hours after its previous landing, surpassing the previous record of 21 days. In addition, the company completed 16 Falcon 9 launches in a single month, including Starlink missions and satellites for the U.S. Department of Defense. And of course, there’s plenty more.
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Unprecedented pace. In 2024, SpaceX will launch an impressive 119 Falcon 9s, averaging one launch every 2,3 days. If it hits its target of 15 more launches this December, the annual total could reach 134 missions.
It's not just an extra number, far from it. Adding the two Falcon Heavy missions, the total rises to 136 launches, which would surpass the total number of flights carried out by NASA's space shuttle during its 30 years of service (135). In other words, the comparison highlights the Falcon 9's ability to surpass in a single year what an entire large program, such as that of the American space agency, has achieved.
The secret of reuse. The data highlighted in the title is an example to understand what Elon Musk's company has achieved. The Falcon 9 rocket fulfills the program's main objective: rapid and low-cost reusability. As we will see below, there is much more, but one fact is revealing: a NASA space shuttle mission cost approximately 1.500 billion dollars.
By comparison, each Falcon 9 launch has an estimated internal marginal cost of just $15 million. This means that SpaceX is operating at a flight rate 30 times higher than the Space Shuttle, at just one-hundredth the cost.
Of course, this would have been impossible without the financial support of the US agency itself over the years, which has allowed SpaceX to progress to these unprecedented levels of efficiency. For example, with the contribution of 400 million dollars to develop the Falcon 9 and Dragon, or with the contracts for cargo or astronaut missions (CRS), or even for manned missions (up to six to the ISS on the Crew Dragon).
Revolutionary efficiency and costs
The reconditioning process. Part of the Falcon 9's "trick" was revealed by Elon Musk a few years ago to Aviation Week. The reconditioning of the rocket's boosters includes detailed inspections, such as x-rays of the propellant tanks, cleaning of the landing "legs" and unclogging of the Merlin engines, necessary due to the use of kerosene as fuel.
Musk explained that the process is relatively simple, with refurbishment costs as low as $250 per booster. Most engines and components remain intact between flights, with only a few parts, such as turbines, occasionally being replaced.
Costs and economic efficiency. As for how that $15 million marginal cost per launch is broken down, Musk explained that $10 million goes directly to manufacturing a new second stage (which cannot be reused and needs to be built for each launch), and the remaining $5 million is associated with costs like propellant, component recovery, and refurbishment.
Furthermore, and very importantly, Elon revealed that SpaceX charges $50 million for a reused launch (this figure has increased over time), generating a significant profit margin that funds projects such as Starlink itself (a potential “golden goose”) and Starship.
For example, two consecutive launches of a reused Falcon 9 generate about $110 million in revenue at a total cost of $65 million, resulting in a net profit of approximately $47 million. Thus, if a booster performs 10 launches, the total estimated costs are $210 million, allowing SpaceX to use some of these flights for internal missions, such as Starlink, practically “for free”.
Comparison with industry. All this data has enabled something completely unprecedented in the industry: SpaceX has no rival. No one has been able to routinely recover or reuse its rockets, while most competitors are still trying to figure out how to make their own Falcon 9.
If we go by the data, in 2024, SpaceX will have carried out more launches than its competitors in long periods: it has matched the launches of Roscosmos since 2013, those of United Launch Alliance since 2010 and those of Arianespace since 2009. Furthermore, this year alone, the Falcon 9 has flown more times than flagship rockets such as the Ariane 4, Ariane 5 or Atlas V in their entire history.
SpaceX Challenges and Leadership
Challenges. To be sure, despite its success, SpaceX has faced setbacks. In July, a second-stage failure caused the loss of 20 Starlink satellites, marking the Falcon 9’s first major “asterisk” since 2016. In August, a booster failed to land after catching fire during the attempt, despite being its 23rd flight, setting a record for reusability. Another booster tied that record in November by completing its flight, and is expected to reach 24 missions before the end of 2024.
An unprecedented trajectory led by the Falcon 9 and its successors, which have revolutionized the standards of reusability and efficiency in the aerospace industry, demonstrates SpaceX’s ability to achieve historic milestones at a pace never seen before. With a model based on low costs and high frequency, the company is transforming space exploration, paving the way for a new era of access to space and, possibly, the long-awaited arrival on Mars.
Correct your introductory text, it's **** that's it.
1.500 billion what **** rating is that?
Soon they will write 1.500.000 thousand