India’s satellite launch cost 4x US, says Cambridge study; space dept source disagrees
A University of Cambridge study claims India has the world's highest satellite launch costs, significantly exceeding those of the United States. The Indian Department of Space disputes these findings, arguing the study fails to account for domestic subsidies and logistical cost-saving measures.
Why it matters
The debate highlights the complexities of measuring space industry competitiveness and the economic impact of national space programs.
NEW DELHI: A 2026 University of Cambridge study has found that India’s per-kilogram launch costs are four times higher than America’s and, in fact, the costliest in the world. However, a highly-placed source in the Department of Space told TOI that the study has not factored in India’s subsidies, saving cost in transport and logistic costs and space manoeuvre costs.A peer-reviewed paper published in the respected Elsevier journal Economics Letters by economists Alessio Terzi of the University of Cambridge and Francesco Nicoli of Politecnico di Torino, Turin, points at a novel database covering more than 6,740 rocket launches between 1960 and 2025. The standardised dataset of rocket launches has covered 16 geographical entities, including all the major spacefaring nations: US, Russia, China, India, Europe, and Japan.
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