Aerospace Corp. study questions economics of super heavy lift rockets
By
Jeff Foust
Summary
A new study from The Aerospace Corp. argues that super heavy lift (SHL) rockets may not always offer better economics. While very large launch vehicles like those being developed by SpaceX and others promise economies of scale, the study suggests there is a point where increased size causes launch prices per kilogram to rise rather than fall. The report examines the trade-offs of rocket size, including infrastructure costs, manufacturing complexity, and market demand considerations.
Source
Twitter / XAerospace Corp. study questions economics of super heavy lift rocketsspacenews.comKey quotes
· 2 pulledA report released June 29 by The Aerospace Corp. said that while super heavy lift, or SHL, rockets promise economies of scale, there may be a point where increased size may cause launch prices, on a per-kilogram basis, to go up.
As SpaceX and others pursue the development of very large launch vehicles, a new study suggests that there may be such a thing as a rocket that is too large.
You might also wanna read
Dan Ives goes bullish on SpaceX, touting reusable, super heavy Starship rocket as linchpin for success
cnbc.com·2h agoDan Ives goes bullish on SpaceX, touting reusable, super heavy Starship rocket as linchpin for success
cnbc.com·2h ago
FAA grounds SpaceX Starship after Super Heavy booster fails during return sequence
SpaceX's latest Starship launch ended in a mishap during the Super Heavy booster's return sequence, prompting the FAA to mandate a grounding
theregister.com·1mo agoFAA grounds SpaceX Starship after Super Heavy booster fails during return sequence
SpaceX's latest Starship launch ended in a mishap during the Super Heavy booster's return sequence, prompting the FAA to mandate a grounding
theregister.com·1mo ago
Study compares SpaceX's space launch dominance to colonial-era monopolies like the East India Company
A new study led by Dr. Alessio Terzi from the University of Cambridge's Bennett School of Public Policy finds that SpaceX's dominance in the
eastangliabylines.co.uk·16d ago
Chinese space sector expresses doubts about SpaceX Starship's viability after latest flight issues
Growing doubts within China's space sector that SpaceX's Starship will overcome engineering and financial challenges. The latest flight expe
scmp.com·1mo ago
SpaceX's evolution from ambitious startup to aerospace giant
The article appears to be about SpaceX's journey from a speculative startup to a major aerospace company potentially valued at $2 trillion.
China launches new reusable rocket, following Falcon 9 engineering approach
China has debuted a new large rocket designed for reusability, following engineering approaches similar to SpaceX's Falcon 9. The article di
arstechnica.com·28d ago
Comments
Sign in to join the conversation.
No comments yet. Be the first.