Policy experts: Europe stuck between "rock and a hard place" on launch
New research indicates that SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and its high-frequency reuse model have significantly shifted the global launch market. The data shows the United States has regained a dominant position in orbital payload capacity.
Why it matters
The dominance of SpaceX in the launch industry is reshaping global space policy and the economics of orbital access.
Falcon 9 fallout Policy experts: Europe stuck between “rock and a hard place” on launch It turns out that the economics of rocket reuse are pretty, pretty good.
83 SpaceX lands a Falcon 9 rocket for the first time in December 2015. Credit: SpaceX SpaceX lands a Falcon 9 rocket for the first time in December 2015. Credit: SpaceX Text settings Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only Learn more Minimize to nav A decade ago, SpaceX began to land the first stages of the Falcon 9 rocket with some regularity, but it’s only within the last five years that the company has begun flying the rocket dozens and then hundreds of times a year.
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