# Rockets and human power: Unit economics

Why reusable boosters, not fuel, changed the price of space

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_rockets/economics/

What this tab covers What it costs to move a unit of energy this way: capital and operating costs, tariffs, utilisation and how it compares with the alternatives.

A reusable Falcon 9 lists at about 74 million USD (2026), roughly 4,200 USD per kg to low Earth orbit; propellant is a small part of the cost because the hardware dominates. Cycling costs almost nothing in energy: about 21 kcal of food per km.

#### Key costs

| Measure | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| **Falcon 9 launch price** | 74 million USD (2026)^[3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falcon_9) | SpaceX list price as reported by Wikipedia (SpaceX's own site could not be checked). |
| **Falcon 9 payload to low Earth orbit** | 17.5 (reusable); 22.8 (expendable) tonnes^[3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falcon_9) |  |
| **Price per kg to low Earth orbit (calculated)** | about 4,200 USD per kg (2026)^[3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falcon_9) | 74 million USD / 17,500 kg, reusable booster. |
| **SpaceX internal cost per launch** | about 15-28 million USD (2024 estimates, as reported)^[3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falcon_9) | About 860-1,600 USD per kg (calculated). The expendable second stage reportedly costs about 12 million USD. |
| **Booster reuse record** | 36 flights of one booster (August 2026)^[3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falcon_9) | As reported. Reuse spreads the cost of the first stage. |
| **Cycling food energy per km (calculated)** | about 90 kJ (21 kcal) per km^[6](https://johk.pl/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/10078-67-2019-v67-2019-10.pdf)^[10](https://theicct.org/publication/co2-emissions-from-commercial-aviation-2013-2018-and-2019) | Assumes 100 W at the pedals at 20 km/h (18 kJ per km) and 20% gross efficiency. About one-thirteenth of a jet passenger's 1.2 MJ per km. |
| **Bicycle component market (Shimano bicycle segment)** | 355 billion JPY (2025)^[9](https://bicycleretailer.com/industry-news/2026/02/10/global-performances-mixed-2025-shimano-reports-3-growth-bike-division) | About 2.3 billion USD as reported; up 2.7% on 2024. |

#### Where the money goes

| Item | Share or amount |
|---|---|
| **Expendable second stage (Falcon 9)** | about 12 million USD of a 15-28 million USD internal cost, roughly 40-80% (calculated, as reported)^[3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falcon_9) |
| **Propellant** | small; propellant is about 89% of lift-off mass (calculated) but cheap per kg compared with the hardware^[3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falcon_9) |

Worked example (calculated): a reusable Falcon 9 carries 488 t of propellant to put 17.5 t in orbit, so each kg of payload needs about 28 kg of propellant. At a price of 74 million USD the customer pays about 4,200 USD per kg; at SpaceX's estimated internal cost the figure is about 860-1,600 USD per kg. Reuse of the first stage, not better engines, is what changed the economics: even the hydrogen-burning RS-25 already reaches about 87% of the chemical ceiling on specific impulse, so there is little left to gain there.

#### Sources

1. [Falcon 9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falcon_9) Wikipedia (compiling SpaceX data; figures as reported), 2026
2. [Gross efficiency and the relationship with maximum oxygen uptake in young elite cyclists during the competitive season (Artetxe-Gezuraga et al.), Journal of Human Kinetics 67, 123-131](https://johk.pl/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/10078-67-2019-v67-2019-10.pdf) Journal of Human Kinetics, 2019
3. [Global performances mixed in 2025; Shimano reports 3% growth in bike division](https://bicycleretailer.com/industry-news/2026/02/10/global-performances-mixed-2025-shimano-reports-3-growth-bike-division) Bicycle Retailer and Industry News, 2026
4. [CO2 emissions from commercial aviation: 2013, 2018, and 2019](https://theicct.org/publication/co2-emissions-from-commercial-aviation-2013-2018-and-2019) ICCT, 2020

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_rockets/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_rockets/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_rockets/correlation/index.md)
- [Science and limits](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_rockets/science/index.md)
- [Value chain](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_rockets/valuechain/index.md)
- [Engineering methods](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_rockets/methods/index.md)
- [Equipment and suppliers](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_rockets/equipment/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_rockets/links/index.md)