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Chapter 60 of 101Space & aerospace2 min read · 2 exhibits

If Launch Became Almost Free

What would space solar power cost if launch prices fell to tens of dollars a kilogram?

Chapter summary

launch would stop dominating cost, and hardware would take over.

Key takeaways

  1. 1

    In Setcoin's reference case, launch at $1,000/kg makes up 92% of a $27.3/W capital cost and the cost of electricity is about $357/MWh (Chapter 53).

  2. 2

    At $20/kg, launch adds only about $0.50/W, so capital falls to about $2.8/W and the cost of electricity to about $37/MWh, provided hardware costs $2/W.

  3. 3

    With hardware at $1/W the cost falls to about $24/MWh, and at $0.5/W to about $17/MWh.

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This chapter (2 exhibits, 360 words) is part of Space & aerospace. Space access opens every chapter of all 11 Space reports, with the interactive models, Excel downloads, Ask and named Atlas records.

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