SpaceX wins launch contract for Dragonfly mission to Titan
NASA yesterday announced that it has awarded the launch contract for sending its Dragonfly mission to Titan to SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket.
The firm-fixed-price contract has a value of approximately $256.6 million, which includes launch services and other mission related costs. The Dragonfly mission currently has a targeted launch period from July 5, 2028, to July 25, 2028, on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Dragonfly is a truly cutting edge mission. Though we have relatively limited information about Titan’s atmosphere and the environment on its surface, it will attempt to fly there like a helicopter, landing and taking off multiple times.
And though there are certainly additional costs required for such a mission, that quarter-billion dollar contract price probably triples what it normally costs SpaceX for a Falcon Heavy mission. Even if it requires the expending of all three first stages, the company is almost certainly getting a big windfall from this deal.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
NASA yesterday announced that it has awarded the launch contract for sending its Dragonfly mission to Titan to SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket.
The firm-fixed-price contract has a value of approximately $256.6 million, which includes launch services and other mission related costs. The Dragonfly mission currently has a targeted launch period from July 5, 2028, to July 25, 2028, on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Dragonfly is a truly cutting edge mission. Though we have relatively limited information about Titan’s atmosphere and the environment on its surface, it will attempt to fly there like a helicopter, landing and taking off multiple times.
And though there are certainly additional costs required for such a mission, that quarter-billion dollar contract price probably triples what it normally costs SpaceX for a Falcon Heavy mission. Even if it requires the expending of all three first stages, the company is almost certainly getting a big windfall from this deal.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Wow they usually get like $150 million or so for a fully expended Falcon Heavy. Even with some additional costs that should represent a nice payout (as I bet the $150 million price tag is itself not a loss leader price). At present, there are really only two alternatives SLS (snort) and New Glenn (which is yet to leave the ground) so SpaceX can charge what the market will bear and 256 million is far less than the cost of an SLS which is somewhere north of $2.5 billion and likely closer to $5 billion a shot. Unless Blue Origin gets their act together (which I’d like only to have some competition) SpaceX is going to own the Earth Orbitals (and the Solar System) for quite a while. Go D.D. Harriman go!!!
Dragonfly has an RTG, so that means special facilities for handling of nuclear payloads, per statute and NASA requirements – that has to drive up the price point all by itself. SpaceX has never launched a nuclear payload before, so….
Curious to know if ULA or Blue Origin bid on this one. Neither is certified for Cat 3 science missions yet, but presumably both would be by 2028.
Either way, though, this is, as you say, a really exciting mission for NASA. The idea of seeing shots of this nuclear powered drone zooming through the skies of Titan is exhilarating. Pity we have to wait ten years to see it…
P.S. Apparently this is going to be a fully expended Falcon Heavy, I’m told. The base price for fully expended is $150 million, so that leaves another $105M for special payload processing requirements imposed by NASA – including for the nuke. That also requires a special certification by NASA. Not surprised that this one ended up being more expensive than Europa Clipper.
Richard M: My original text was not what I intended to write. I was referring to my estimate of SpaceX’s cost to launch Falcon Heavy when I said this price was 3X higher. I have revised the text.
SpaceX might charge $150 million for a fully expendable Falcon Heavy launch, but I think its actual cost is closer to $80 million or less.
Hello Bob,
Oh, no doubt – especially if the side boosters are previously flown ones!
It has been awhile since the anti-nukes showed up in force at a launch (Cassini’s Titan IV) but with SpaceX launching it–I foresee the Greens starting yet more trouble.