Why Is Commercial Space Travel So Expensive?

BBC Science Focus gives a short and straightforward answer on why space tourism is so expensive, stating that chemical-based propulsion is the biggest factor behind these rates. The Tsiolkovsky rocket equation states that the amount of rocket fuel needed to put something in orbit is 10 to 25 times its mass. The equation is so brutal that NASA calls it the “Tyranny of the Rocket Equation.” The more weight and mass added to a spacecraft, the more fuel it needs, and therefore the heavier it gets; this creates an incremental cycle driving costs up.

Scientific American explains that rocket fuels can be solid, liquid, or gas. SpaceX reveals that it uses liquid oxygen and rocket-grade kerosene RP-1 propellant to power the Merlin engines that boost a Falcon 9 into space. But even these fuel costs don’t amount to a significant fraction of what it costs to build a rocket. Reusable rockets do bring down costs, but they are not 100% reusable. Additionally, carrying a crew requires capsules that are also expensive to build. Launching, training, workforces, and the operations of a mission are also costs that ultimately affect the price of a ticket to space.

There are other issues that affect costs in the space industry. On March 23, 2022, CNBC reported that SpaceX had raised the price of all its launches due to all-time high fuel prices and inflation. The cost for a Falcon 9 launch was set at $67 million, and the Falcon Heavy mission was at $97 million. Small satellites launched under the rideshare program also saw increases, with prices rising to $1.1 million for payloads of 200 kilograms and additional costs of $5,500 per kilo. In conclusion, the rocket equation, cost of fuels, cost of construction and operations, and issues like inflation are why space tourism tickets are so expensive.