Commercial Paid Space Flight

[AlamoVampire]

What will Boeing do next? I for one look forward to the day I can buy a space ticket as easy as I can buy a plane ticket!

funny thing, this kinda looks like KSP too lol

[R0cketC0der]

It's still a long time until it's affordable for a normal person to go into orbit. An atlas V launch costs currently about $100m, so even not counting the cost of the capsule and extra work required for a manned flight, it would be over $10m per seat in the CST-100. A falcon 9 launch currently costs about $60m and still they're projected launch price per crew dragon was $140m or $20m per seat. The CST-100 is likely to cost a lot more than that.

[Kinglet]

A better commercial launch vehicle:

Now, if they manage to somehow stick a spacex grasshopper on that plane, then we will have a very cheap launcher.

Edited June 28, 2014 by Kinglet

[Kryten]

A better commercial launch vehicle:

Now, if they manage to somehow stick a spacex grasshopper on that plane, then we will have a very cheap launcher.

Giant, completely unique aircraft that require specially built hangars, airstrips et.c. do not a cheap system make. Their Pegasus launcher uses a modified airliner, and is still the most expensive launcher in operation in terms of $/kg.

[Kinglet]

Giant, completely unique aircraft that require specially built hangars, airstrips et.c. do not a cheap system make. Their Pegasus launcher uses a modified airliner, and is still the most expensive launcher in operation in terms of $/kg.

Well, giant single-use first stages full of expensive rocket fuel are more expensive in the long run through.

[Nibb31]

Well, giant single-use first stages full of expensive rocket fuel are more expensive in the long run through.

Rocket fuel is the cheapest part of the launch. You will always need a huge amount of energy to reach orbital speed. You will always need a damn heavy vehicle to carry that amount of energy. Adding a giant airplane into the equation doesn't make it cheaper. It makes it more complex, more dangerous, and more expensive.

And expendable rockets are made to be expendable, which makes them relatively cheap compared to an airplane.

[ZodiaK]

don't forget