Will Lower Launch Costs Lead to a Space Boom
WILL LOWER LAUNCH COSTS LEAD TO A SPACE BOOM?
Is it true that space commerce will boom if launch costs are significantly reduced? No one knows for sure. There have been several analyses that have assessed the demand for launch services by proposed space businesses (on-orbit manufacturing, space tourism, and so on) as a function of lower launch prices.
The most widely used data come from a study conducted in the mid-1990s by six large aerospace companies in conjunction with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The "Commercial Space Transportation Study" projected that if launch prices were reduced from modern levels of $4,000 to $10,000 per pound (depending on the destination orbit) to less than $500 to $1,000 per pound, there could be significant growth in launch activity.