Cheap access to space still a distant dream

NPR : When the space shuttle was first proposed more than 40 years ago, NASA told Congress and the public that it would put payloads into orbit at a significantly lower cost than any other launch vehicle. In reality—because of the technology of the time, the size of the vehicle, and design compromises that increased the complexity of the shuttle—each shuttle launch cost more than $1.5 billion, and the program required 35 000 people to service and maintain the vehicles. This morning as the space shuttle program came to a close with Discovery‘s final landing in Florida, NPR’s David Kestenbaum investigates how much it really costs to put a payload into orbit. Elon Musk, founder of a new launch competitor, SpaceX , claims its rockets can launch payloads into near-Earth orbit at a cost of $1000–$3000 per pound. Although the cost is significantly lower than the shuttle’s, which was about $10 000 per pound, Musk believes it is still too expensive and is working to bring it down to $100 per pound.