Comments on: ULA and Amazon schedule first Kuiper satellite launch for April 9, 2025

By: Mike Borgelt

Mike Borgelt — Fri, 04 Apr 2025 20:58:26 +0000

Kuiper service is going to need to be dramatically better than Starlink or way cheaper to get any takeup (I guess lefty Musk haters will buy it). The first is unlikely and I can’t see making money with the second. I wonder when Jeff will get tired of tearing up Benjamins.

As for legacy rockets – too expensive and not reusable. Paleo rocketry.

By: Dick Eagleson

Dick Eagleson — Fri, 04 Apr 2025 13:02:37 +0000

The right to build the RD-180, under license, in the US was part of the original deal for its use on Atlas III – and, later, Atlas V. But Boeing decided buying RD-180s was cheaper than setting up its own production facility. There was also a question as to just how complete the specifications were that Russia provided. Boeing never elected to find out. So it goes.

By: Jeff Wright

Jeff Wright — Fri, 04 Apr 2025 02:21:41 +0000

Here I thought we had the rights to build RD-180s. They could have just kept Atlas going without having to deal with Bezos.

Atlas is a good size for transportation–it can be flown in via Antonio, or with Delta Mariner for water transit.

By: geoffc

geoffc — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 21:01:07 +0000

Interestingly, they are using an Atlas V 551, so 5 meter fairing, 5 SRB’s and 1 RL-20 engine.

That is the most expensive Atlas model. I saw a price for an Atlas V 411, so 1 SRB for $110 Million, with the 551 at 153 Million. Vs the Falcon 9 cost of $55 million and likely much lower internal costs as low as $15 million a launch.

It is not clear to me that Kuiper can make money when competing against Starlink. Hope I am wrong.