Week in Space Data, every Friday.
What it costs to reach orbit, from published prices, NASA analysis and the CSIS launch-cost dataset. Every figure links its source.
The full answer on launch prices, every rocket's price and cost per kg compared, is in Space launch cost comparison
CSIS estimates of a dedicated launch's cost divided by its LEO capacity, in fiscal 2021 dollars (dataset last updated September 1, 2022). Today's published prices are in the next section. Source: CSIS
Published prices as of 2026-10-11. Most providers publish none and price per mission; where that is the case we say so rather than estimate. Payload and launch counts come from our checked vehicle catalogue. Click a vehicle to expand.
How the cost of reaching low Earth orbit has fallen: from $54,500/kg on the Shuttle to $2,720/kg on Falcon 9, by NASA's own 2018 analysis. Dollar bases differ by row, as labelled.
About $1.5 billion per launch for 27,500 kg to LEO, by NASA's Harry Jones (2018, unadjusted dollars). Source
The average launch cost to LEO over those three decades, in 2018 dollars (Jones, 2018). Source
SpaceX advertised $62 million for 22,800 kg to LEO when Jones wrote in 2018: about a twentieth of the Shuttle per kilogram. Source
Jones's 2018 figure, in 2018 dollars. Source
Arithmetic: the $74M list price divided by the 22,800 kg expendable LEO maximum. The list price has risen since 2018 ($62M in Jones's paper, $67M from March 2022). Source
Elon Musk's stated goal of under $10 million a launch, divided by 100 t. A target, not current pricing; SpaceX sells no Starship launches yet. Source
From SpaceX's IPO prospectus (SEC, June 2026). Shares are SpaceX's own counts.
>50%
Falcon 9 share of orbital launches, 2025
"Over half of all global orbital launches", SpaceX's count Source
>80%
Falcon share of mass to orbit, 2025
SpaceX's count; about 2,213 t launched by SpaceX in 2025 Source
$4.09B
SpaceX launch-business revenue, 2025
Space segment (customer launches and Dragon); Starlink launches earn no revenue there Source
Detailed specs, success rates, and comparisons for active and historical rockets.
Track venture capital and investment activity across the space industry.
Configure a mission and see an illustrative cost and delta-V budget.
Analysis of space market segments including communications, EO, and defense.
Sources: CSIS Aerospace Security Project launch-cost dataset (FY2021 dollars, updated September 1, 2022); H. Jones, NASA Ames, "The Recent Large Reduction in Space Launch Cost" (2018); SpaceX's price sheet and its published prices for rideshare missions; Rocket Lab results; NASA Office of Inspector General; SpaceX prospectus (SEC, 2026). Each figure links its own source.