In December, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket launched a cargo capsule to deliver supplies and Christmas gifts to astronauts in the International Space Station. Like several SpaceX rockets before it, this rocket’s first stage returned to Earth and landed safely on one of SpaceX’s drone ships for refurbishment and reuse. The infographic below shows the cost per kilogram of cargo for space launches across the globe since the dawn of the Space Age in 1960. Today a private-enterprise SpaceX rocket can deliver cargo 97% cheaper than a 1960’s Soviet Soyuz rocket, and 10x cheaper than just a decade ago. Thank you, capitalism (and Elon Musk)! (Chart from Visual Capitalist)
Jeffrey Cerny