SpaceX Successfully Lauches Falcon 9 Rocket

[FrankRep]

http://www.thenewamerican.com/images/stories/AP-11-2010/falcon9r-ap.001.jpg
Space Exploration Technologies Corp. - SpaceX (http://www.spacex.com/)



SpaceX successfully launched the Falcon 9 rocket carrying a Dragon capsule, an important step on the way to replacing the space shuttle. By James Heiser


SpaceX Successfully Lauches Falcon 9 Rocket (http://www.thenewamerican.com/index.php/tech-mainmenu-30/space/5439-spacex-successfully-lauches-falcon-9-rocket)


James Heiser | The New American (http://www.thenewamerican.com/)
08 December 2010


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[fisharmor]

Each shuttle flight costs about $1 billion, while the entire NASA contribution so far to SpaceX has been $253 million, according to NASA officials.

I don't think they stressed the numbers:
Putting one space shuttle into space costs $1 billion. This doesn't take into account the cost of the 6 shuttles built.
I really want to find out what it costs to run the SpaceX - the $253 million is so far is only for construction and testing.
It also doesn't account for how much private money has gone into it.

[Elwar]

Ehh...it's about as private as a defense contractor...

[Zippyjuan]

They are getting a ton of money from NASA. SpaceX acknowledged that the funds for this test flight came from NASA.
http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/12/06/5600599-spacex-gets-set-for-next-giant-leap

This mission is drawing upon NASA's money instead of SpaceX's, and it's considered the first official demonstration flight in a test program that would turn SpaceX into one of the prime cargo carriers for the International Space Station. Sending up cargo will earn the California-based company $1.6 billion over the next six years. If NASA ever gives the go-ahead, SpaceX's Dragon could someday carry astronauts as well as food and supplies into orbit.



From another article:


SpaceX has reportedly spent about $600 million to date on its Dragon and Falcon rocket programs since Musk founded the company in 2002.

That investment has netted SpaceX a $1.6 billion contract with NASA to use its Dragon spacecraft for cargo flights to the International Space Station following the retirement of the agency's space shuttle fleet next year. SpaceX plans to fly at least 12 unmanned Dragon missions through 2016 to deliver supplies to the space station.



SpaceX's $1.6 billion space station cargo contract with NASA is separate from its COTS deal, which offers $278 million for successful demonstration tests of hardware capable of space station deliveries.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20101208/sc_space/spacexsetforhistoriclaunchofprivatespacecraftonwed nesday