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Brupal · 08-24-2025, 07:50 PM

It’s not like SpaceX is some charity that gets gifted cash from the government for free. The government puts out contracts for bidding and many companies including SpaceX submit bids and occasionally they are awarded such contracts which require them to deliver as outlined and in exchange they get paid. Of course they rely on government contracts, who else is paying for rockets to go to space? By pioneering the reuse of rockets SpaceX has driven down the cost to launch payloads into space immensely.

NASA awarded the $1.6 billion contract known as Commercial Resupply Services to SpaceX in 2008, just months after the first successful flight of the Falcon 1. The contract called on SpaceX to use its new rocket, the Falcon 9, along with its Dragon capsule to ferry cargo and supplies to the International Space Station over the course of 12 missions. In 2014, SpaceX won another NASA contract worth $2.6 billion to develop and operate vehicles to ferry astronauts to and from the International Space Station.
Today, SpaceX dominates large parts of the space market from launch to satellites. In 2024, SpaceX conducted a record-breaking 134 orbital launches, more than double the amount of launches done by the next most prolific launch provider, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, according to science and technology consulting firm BryceTech. These 134 launches accounted for 83% of all spacecraft launched last year. According to a July report by Bloomberg, SpaceX was valued at $400 billion.
SpaceX's Dragon capsule and Falcon 9 rocket are the primary means by which NASA launches astronauts and supplies to the International Space Station. The company's Starlink satellites have become indispensable for providing internet access to remote areas as well as to U.S. allies during wartime. The company's Starship rocket, though still in testing, is also key to the U.S. plan to return to the moon.#SpaceX is also building a network of spy satellites for the U.S. government called Starshield as part of a $1.8 billion contract. Even competitors including Amazon and OneWeb have launched their satellites on SpaceX rockets.#
"The ecosystem of space is changed by, really it's SpaceX," Garver said. "The lower cost of access to space is doing what we had dreamed of. It is built up a whole community of companies around the world that now have access to space."

08-24-2025, 07:50 PM	#6626
Brupal Backup Goalie Join Date: Sep 2013 Exp:	It’s not like SpaceX is some charity that gets gifted cash from the government for free. The government puts out contracts for bidding and many companies including SpaceX submit bids and occasionally they are awarded such contracts which require them to deliver as outlined and in exchange they get paid. Of course they rely on government contracts, who else is paying for rockets to go to space? By pioneering the reuse of rockets SpaceX has driven down the cost to launch payloads into space immensely. NASA awarded the $1.6 billion contract known as Commercial Resupply Services to SpaceX in 2008, just months after the first successful flight of the Falcon 1. The contract called on SpaceX to use its new rocket, the Falcon 9, along with its Dragon capsule to ferry cargo and supplies to the International Space Station over the course of 12 missions. In 2014, SpaceX won another NASA contract worth $2.6 billion to develop and operate vehicles to ferry astronauts to and from the International Space Station. Today, SpaceX dominates large parts of the space market from launch to satellites. In 2024, SpaceX conducted a record-breaking 134 orbital launches, more than double the amount of launches done by the next most prolific launch provider, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, according to science and technology consulting firm BryceTech. These 134 launches accounted for 83% of all spacecraft launched last year. According to a July report by Bloomberg, SpaceX was valued at $400 billion. SpaceX's Dragon capsule and Falcon 9 rocket are the primary means by which NASA launches astronauts and supplies to the International Space Station. The company's Starlink satellites have become indispensable for providing internet access to remote areas as well as to U.S. allies during wartime. The company's Starship rocket, though still in testing, is also key to the U.S. plan to return to the moon.#SpaceX is also building a network of spy satellites for the U.S. government called Starshield as part of a $1.8 billion contract. Even competitors including Amazon and OneWeb have launched their satellites on SpaceX rockets.# "The ecosystem of space is changed by, really it's SpaceX," Garver said. "The lower cost of access to space is doing what we had dreamed of. It is built up a whole community of companies around the world that now have access to space."