A Visual Capitalist infographic showing the drastic decline in the cost of space flight per kilogram from 1960 to 2030, highlighting SpaceX's impact.

An infographic titled 'The Cost of Space Flight' featuring a log-scale line graph of launch costs over time. It compares rockets like Saturn V, Space Shuttle, Soyuz, and Falcon 9, showing costs dropping from over $50,000/kg to an estimated $100/kg for Starship. The bottom section shows silhouettes and flags for the rockets.

The Cost of Space Flight How much does it cost to launch a spacecraft into orbit? A lot less than it used to, thanks to innovation by SpaceX. Here's a look at the cost per kilogram for space launches across the globe since 1960. $51,200 $25,600 $12,800 $6,400 $3,200 $1,600 $800 $400 $200 $100 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 Space Shuttle Soyuz Saturn V Long March 3b Delta Heavy Falcon 1 Angara Falcon 9 Falcon Heavy Starship (estimate) Today, launching a spacecraft is 10x cheaper than it was a decade ago. Prices have been adjusted for inflation. Source: Center for Strategic and International Studies VISUAL CAPITALIST