Launch costs have fallen 95% πŸ“‰ (with another massive reduction expected in the coming years) thanks to reuse, improved engineering, and increased volumes.
β€œIn economics, we assume that resources are limited; land is limited; natural resources are limited. With #space 🌌, it allows us to change that.” https://www.theguardian.com/science/article/2024/may/03/were-in-a-new-era-the-21st-century-space-race-takes-off

#LaunchCost#SpaceMining

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πŸ“Š #ESA πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Ί and its member states forked over $4.4B πŸ’°πŸ’°πŸ’°πŸ’° to develop #Ariane6. Customer launches are unlikely to pay back development costs any time soon.

#SpaceX has invested over $5B πŸ’°πŸ’°πŸ’°πŸ’°πŸ’° in #Starship πŸš€ R&D to date. Starship has proven its expendable capability, and the company is focusing on achieving full #reusability ♻️.

#NASA spent a dizzying $24B πŸ’°πŸ’°πŸ’°πŸ’°πŸ’°πŸ’°πŸ’°πŸ’°πŸ’°πŸ’°πŸ’°πŸ’°πŸ’°πŸ’°πŸ’°πŸ’°πŸ’°πŸ’°πŸ’°πŸ’°πŸ’°πŸ’°πŸ’°πŸ’° developing #SLS
https://payloadspace.com/rocket-development-costs-by-vehicle-payload-research

#DevelopmentCost#LaunchCost

When Mr Bridenstine suggested in 2019 that America could return to the Moon πŸŒ™ using #SpaceX’s #FalconHeavy, he provoked a row with Richard #Shelby, a senator from #Alabama who was then chairman of the Senate appropriations committee. Welcoming the #SLS in 2011, Mr Shelby said that #NASA’s exploration of space, β€œhas always been and always will be through Marshall Space Flight Centre [in #Alabama].” https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2022/08/24/nasas-space-launch-system-is-yesterdays-rocket

#SpacePolitics#PorkBarrel

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It will become inevitably embarrassing if #Starship is launching dozens of times a year like #Falcon9 is, and #SLS πŸ’° once every two years. #FalconHeavy is the one SLS was originally in a race against, not Starship. https://arstechnica.com/science/2022/08/former-nasa-official-on-trying-to-stop-sls-there-was-just-such-visible-hostility/

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When Mr Bridenstine suggested in 2019 that America could return to the Moon πŸŒ™ using #SpaceX’s #FalconHeavy, he provoked a row with Richard #Shelby, a senator from #Alabama who was then chairman of the Senate appropriations committee. Welcoming the #SLS in 2011, Mr Shelby said that #NASA’s exploration of space, β€œhas always been and always will be through Marshall Space Flight Centre [in #Alabama].” https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2022/08/24/nasas-space-launch-system-is-yesterdays-rocket

#SpacePolitics#PorkBarrel

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"Political and #aerospace interests were more than reluctant to embrace any changes which they viewed as a threat to their own hegemony."
The mainstream media doesn’t cover #SpaceExploration and #SpaceScience with the same questioning πŸ” rigor that they reserve for #politics. People writing about space exploration are mostly cheerleaders πŸ₯³ for the cause, rather than independent observers keeping a watchful eye on how our national monies πŸ’° are spent. https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucedorminey/2022/06/23/new-book-paints-bleak-picture-of-nasas-human-spaceflight-program/

#NASA #SLS#Artemis

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@lori_garver β€œIt got funded as a rocket to nowhere, and we at #NASA had to figure out something to do with it”.
The #rocket is #unsustainable by design, relying on an old and potentially quite expensive πŸ’° way to get to #space 🌌. Much of #SLS is a holdover from the #SpaceShuttle. https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/01/09/1065143/nasa-artemis-return-to-moon