SpaceX has raised rates for its rocket carpool launch service by 20 percent as inflation in the U.S. continues, and at the same time it has adjusted launch starting prices for numerous projects to low Earth orbit (LEO), including the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets.
SpaceX charges starting at $67 million (about 481 million yuan) for a single mission, which allows Falcon 9 to send a 5.5-ton payload into geostationary orbit (GTO), or an 8-ton Falcon Heavy rocket. The payload was sent into the same orbit, which cost $97 million (about 696 million yuan).
On a per kilogram basis, that means $12,181 for the Falcon 9 and $12,125 for the Falcon Heavy.
Before the adjustment, the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets cost $62 million and $90 million to fly, respectively.
SpaceX uses either Rocket Propellant 1 (RP-1) or kerosene as rocket fuel, but the latter is being quoted at record highs due to inflation and regional conflicts.
In March, SpaceX made a pricing adjustment when they said that missions purchased in 2022 but flown after 2023 may be subject to additional adjustments for inflation, given the excessive level of inflation.
At that time, SpaceX carpooling program made a price increase, 200 kg of payload in sun-synchronous orbit cost $1.1 million, the same load previously cost only $ 1 million, each additional kilogram charges $ 5,000, and the price increase also increased the cost per kilogram $ 500.
