Space Exploration Technologies SpaceX

Performance indicators

2024: Market lead for launching rockets into Earth's orbit

2023: The company conducted 96 of 220 rocket launches carried out in the world

Space X accounted for 96 of the world's 220 launches in 2023. This is more PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA than that of its ambitious program, 5 times higher than the same figure, and Russia also accounts for 90% of all space launches over the USA same period. In 2024, the brainchild of Elon Musk plans to bring the number of launches to 150.

Thanks to the company, the Pentagon not only gained more opportunities for launching vehicles into orbit, but also a global grouping of high-speed broadband access in the person of Starlink, which has already provided tectonic shifts in the issue of troop control.

2022: Receiving net losses of $559 million

At the end of 2022, the American company SpaceX, headed by Elon Musk, suffered net losses of $559 million. For comparison, a year earlier, losses amounted to approximately $968 million. Such data in mid-August 2023 was revealed by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

SpaceX is a private company, and therefore does not officially publish financial statements. However, employees of The Wall Street Journal managed to gain access to the internal documentation of this space technology manufacturer. It is said that SpaceX's revenue in 2022 reached $4.6 billion, which is about twice as much as the result for 2021.

SpaceX ended the year with a loss of $559 million

At the same time, the total expenses of Musk's company in 2022 increased to $5.2 billion, while a year earlier they were estimated at $3.3 billion. The cost of paying salaries to employees, purchasing materials and compensating for the wear and tear of space technology was at the level of $3.1 billion. This is almost twice as much as in 2021, when the cost of these items was $1.6 billion. Research and development costs on an annualized basis rose by 11% to $1.3 billion.

It is noted that a significant part of SpaceX's costs is associated with the development of Starship, a reusable system from the super-heavy Super Heavy launch vehicle and the Starship spacecraft. The cost of the project is estimated at $3 billion. In 2021 and 2022, SpaceX spent a total of $5.4 billion on the purchase of fixed assets and equipment, and a significant part of the costs was dictated precisely by the development of Starship.

It is also said that during 2021-2022. SpaceX wrote off the value of the bitcoins it owned by $373 million and sold cryptocurrency assets. Elon Musk's company itself does not comment on the published information by August 22, 2023.^[1]

History

2024

For the first time, the first stage of the Super Heavy rocket was returned to the launch pad

For the first time, SpaceX managed to return the first stage of the Super Heavy rocket to the launch pad.

The recovery of the Starship launch vehicle after launch is a crucial milestone for SpaceX as it prepares the rocket for commercial operation.

The rocket is central to the ambitions of Elon Musk, who plans to send humans to the moon and Mars.

Moving headquarters from California to Texas

In July 2024, Elon Musk announced that he was moving the headquarters of SpaceX and X (twitter) from California to Texas.

"That's the final straw. Tired of dodging gangs of tough drug addicts so that you can just enter and leave the building, "Elon Musk said in his X (twitter).

Pentagon extends contract with SpaceX to provide Starlink Internet services in Ukraine for 6 months

In June 2024, the Pentagon extended a contract with Elon Musk's SpaceX to provide Starlink Internet services in Ukraine for another six months, a new sign that the two sides have overcome disagreements over the use of terminals in the conflict zone.

The US Space Force extended the contract with SpaceX until November 30 for $14.1 million.

Russia warned that the use of SpaceX satellites by US intelligence will make them legitimate targets

Russia on March 20, 2024, said it was aware of U.S. intelligence efforts to use the services of commercial satellite operators such as SpaceX and warned that such moves made their satellites legitimate targets.

The main source of income for SpaceX was the US government

On February 20, 2024, it became known that SpaceX had entered into a secret contract with an unnamed US government structure in the amount of $1.8 billion. Thus, the American authorities are becoming the main source of income for this enterprise of Elon Musk.

According to The Wall Street Journal, SpaceX is deepening ties with US intelligence and military agencies. One area of cooperation is the Starshield satellites, which are capable of "providing secure communications, collecting Earth data and carrying sensors or other surveillance tools on board." It is noted that in August 2023, SpaceX signed a $70 million contract involving the launch of Starshield spacecraft into orbit to provide communication services to dozens of Pentagon partners. As part of the Starshield project, SpaceX is looking for specialists with access to top-secret information, as well as experience with the US Department of Defense and intelligence agencies.

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SpaceX

The Wall Street Journal emphasizes that SpaceX has partnered with national security organizations virtually since it was founded in 2002. Shortly after the start of operations, the company won a contract with an unnamed customer conducting intelligence activities. SpaceX then began carrying out regular launches for the military and other government agencies. One of the clients is the US National Office of Military Space Intelligence (NRO).

SpaceX's growing importance to the American government is due to the fact that space is increasingly becoming an arena of controversy that reflects geopolitical rivalry on Earth. Satellites play an important role in ensuring U.S. national security by tracking missile launches and providing secure communications. In addition, spacecraft help in the implementation of comprehensive monitoring.^[2]

SpaceX changed its check-in location from Delaware to Texas

In February 2024, SpaceX changed its registration location from Delaware to Texas.

SpaceX wins contract to launch private Starlab space station

In January 2024, SpaceX's Starship won a contract to launch the commercial Starlab space station, part-built by European company Airbus, in a new deal for an undisclosed amount. Elon Musk's Starship rocket will be used for flights to the moon and Mars.

2023

Investment from Italian bank Intesa Sanpaolo

In October 2023, it became known that Italian bank Intesa Sanpaolo made a surprise investment in Elon Musk's SpaceX, as the lender considers the aerospace industry as a key factor in global growth. Intesa Sanpaolo does not disclose the scale of the new investment.

Innovation will be a key element of the 2022-2025 business plan, the largest Italian bank said in a statement.

First contract from the US Space Force for satellite communications services for the military

In September 2023, Elon Musk's SpaceX received the first contract from the US Space Force to provide specialized satellite communications for the military under the new Starshield program, expanding the role of the provocative billionaire as a defense contractor.

Launch of the ship on the ISS with tourists

On May 21, 2023, at 17:37 US East Coast time (May 22 at 00:37 Moscow time), a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with a manned spacecraft Crew Dragon was launched from the launch complex of the Kennedy Space Center 39V at Cape Canaveral in Florida. The device went to the International Space Station as part of the Axiom (Ax-2) commercial program. Read more here.

U.S. Space Force Missile Attack Warning System Launch

On March 29, 2023, the US Department of Defense (DoD) announced the launch of satellites of a new missile warning system for the US Space Force. Read more here.

Largest group of ransomware hackers hacked into computers of key contractor SpaceX

In mid-March 2023, the cybercriminal group LockBit announced IT infrastructures the hacking of Maximum Industries, which is said to be a contractor for a private aerospace corporation. SpaceX Elona Musk More. here

2022

Deprivation of state subsidies for $900 million

On August 10, 2022, federal regulators announced that SpaceX would not receive almost $900 million in subsidies allocated to it in December 2021, citing the fact that its satellite system "is still in the development stage of technology" and the company "could not demonstrate that it will be able to provide the promised services."

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) allocated funding to Starlink SpaceX as part of the largest subsidy program in history, designed to accelerate access to the Internet to residents of rural areas where America access to high-speed Internet is still an urgent problem. SpaceX was supposed to receive a total of $856 million.

SpaceX lost $900 million in state subsidies

Based on detailed legal, technical and policy analysis, we reject these applications, "said FCC Chairman Jessica Rosenworcel. Users expect reliable and affordable high-speed broadband. We must use the few subsidies as rationally as possible, as we move into a digital future that requires increasingly powerful and faster networking technologies. Companies that do not meet the stated speeds or do not meet the requirements of the program should not be allowed to receive subsidies.

The FCC also noted data that "indicates that Starlink's speed declined from the last quarter of 2021 through the second quarter of 2022."

SpaceX said it already has more than 400,000 customers worldwide, and the company is investing in the development of the service. She has already launched almost 3 thousand satellites that work in tandem to provide Internet access throughout the earth. This approach is significantly different from the traditional high-speed Internet, which relies on underground fiber optic cables.

As part of the same statement, the FCC also said it was denying $1.3 billion earmarked for LTD Broadband, citing that the ISP failed to obtain proper status and approval to provide services in seven states.^[3]

Sending a manned mission with NASA astronauts to the ISS

Aerospace company SpaceX has launched a Crew-4 mission in which a crew of four astronauts will be delivered to the International Space Station. This became known on April 28, 2022. This launch was planned earlier, but due to the fact that the participants in the commercial mission Axiom Space 1 could not leave the orbital station on time, it had to be postponed.

The Falcon 9 Raketa carrier with the Crew Dragon manned spacecraft carrying the crew launched from the launch site at Cape Canaveral in Florida at 03:52 local time (10:52 Moscow time). About nine minutes after launch, the first stage of the rocket should land on a special floating platform in the Atlantic Ocean, located near the coast of Florida.

The Crew Dragon spacecraft with the crew will continue to move, and if everything goes according to plan, in about 17 hours it will get closer to the ISS. As part of the Crew-4 mission, SpaceX is delivering a group of astronauts to the ISS for the fourth time. This time, the crew included three astronauts from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration () NASA USA and one astronaut The European space from the agency (ESA).

The commander of the Crew-4 crew was NASA astronaut Dr. Kjell Lindgren, a certified ambulance doctor, as well as a surgeon. For him, this is the second flight to the ISS. Last time, Lindgren visited the orbital station in 2015 and spent 141 days in orbit, making two spacewalks and participating in more than 100 experiments.

The second crew member was rookie astronaut Bob Hines, 47, a fighter pilot and test pilot of the US Air Force, who flew more than 3500 hours on 50 types of aircraft. NASA's third astronaut was geologist Jessica Watkins, who also worked as part of the Curiosity rover's scientific team and studied landslides on Mars and Earth. The company will be 45-year-old Samantha Cristoforetti, ESA astronaut and pilot of an Italian Air Force jet, for whom SpaceX has^[4]

Raising the price of Starlink services and launching spacecraft into orbit

On March 23, 2022, it became known that SpaceX raised prices for both services and satellite Internet Starlink launch services satellites into orbit, citing. inflation

In particular, prices have increased:

• 11% on Starlink services ($99 to $110)
• 20% on Starlink terminals ($499 to $599 for new customers)
• 10% for associated launches of small spacecraft (from $1 million/200 kg of weight and $5 thousand for each additional kilogram of weight to $1.1 million/200 kg and $5.5 thousand per additional kg of weight.)
• 8% for targeted launches (from $62 to $67 million for Falcon 9 and from $90 to $97 million for superheavy Falcon Heavy launch vehicle)

Inflation in the past 12 months was 7.9% before seasonal adjustments, the highest in four decades, according to data from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics as of March 10, 2022.^[5]

2021

Bankruptcy risk due to failure in engine development

In November 2021, Elon Musk said that SpaceX could face bankruptcy if the production of Raptor engines could not be accelerated.

"If we fail to reach the launch schedule for at least one Starship every two weeks, then we may indeed be threatened with bankruptcy," he said in a letter to company employees.

According to the head of SpaceX, the situation with the pace of production of rocket engines in the company can be assessed as catastrophic.

Musk's letter to SpaceX employees provides more insight into the significance of former Vice President of Propulsion Will Heltsley's departure earlier this month. In his letter, Musk noted that since then, the company's management has been studying the problems of the program and finds that the circumstances are "much more serious" than Musk previously thought.

Purchase of IoT satellite developer Swarm Technologies

In early August 2021, it was reported that SpaceX would acquire Swarm Technologies, a satellite communications company, the first such deal for a space company led by Elon Musk. Read more here.

Victory in the competition for the delivery of astronauts to the moon

Main article: US Lunar Program

In April 2021, SpaceX won a competition held by NASA among applicants for a contract to deliver astronauts to the lunar surface.

Blue Origin, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Draper and Dynetics participated in the final stage of the competition.

The creation of a system for landing the crew on the surface of the moon will require about $2.89 billion. In accordance with NASA's plan, four astronauts will be delivered to the lunar station on the Orion ship, from there two of them will go to the moon on the SpaceX-owned Starship.

Raising $850 million at the company's valuation of $74 billion

In February 2021, Elon Musk's SpaceX raised $850 million in a new round of funding, with the participation of investors such as Sequoia Capital, Valor Equity Partners, Coatue Management, D1 Capital Partners and Fidelity Investments.

SpaceX's stock offering price was approximately $420, and thus the company's value is now estimated at $74 billion. The previous round of funding took place last summer, and then SpaceX was estimated at $46 billion.

Sequoia Capital became the largest investor in SpaceX's latest funding round, with a combined investment of more than $600 million in the company.

As part of all the funding rounds, SpaceX raised almost $6 billion.

2020

Permission from NASA to carry astronauts

NASA announced that it had given official permission to deliver astronauts to and from orbit with the Kru Dragon capsule and the Spacex Falcon-9 rocket (SpaceX). It is the first spacecraft certified by the space agency "in nearly 40 years since the shuttle." This became known on November 11, 2020.

In a statement, NASA chief Jim Bridenstine noted that this is an important milestone for Elon Musk's company, and that it will contribute to the commercialization of space.

I am extremely proud to announce that we have returned to American soil regular launches of American spacecraft carried out by an American rocket, "Bridenstein said. - This certification is the most important milestone and incredible achievement of NASA and Spacecax. It shows the success we have made working alongside the commercial industry.

Bridenstein recently announced that he would not work as a NASA administrator under Biden, noting that the position "needs a person who has a close relationship with the president."

In May, Spacex took a historic step, sending NASA astronauts from the United States into space for the first time since 2011.

That year, launches were discontinued due to the abandonment of space shuttles.

This certification is a historic achievement for both NASA and Elon Musk's company. NASA, as part of the commercial crew program, has provided most of the funding for the Kru Dragon spacecraft for the past six years and conducted hundreds of tests.

Thanks to NASA for the unrelenting support of Spacex and for the partnership in achieving this goal, Musk said. "I am extremely proud of everyone at Spacex, and all your suppliers who have worked hard to develop and test commercial manned flight systems that have been certified by NASA. It's a great honor for me, and it gives me the confidence to go back to the moon, get to Mars, and eventually help humanity become multifaceted.

In October 2020, Musk announced that Spacex would fly to Mars in four years, but warned that such a schedule was "very approximate."

Spacex and NASA are scheduled to send a crew of three NASA astronauts and one astronaut from Japan to the ISS for six months on November 14, 2020.

{{quote 'Certification moves us from the design and test phase to the crew change phase. But we will continue to ensure that every flight, including this one, is prepared carefully and scrupulously, as we approached the creation of this system for astronauts, which is the best, "said NASA Deputy Administrator Kathy Lueders, responsible for manned flights and flight operations. }}

NASA Director of Preparation for Commercial Space Flights Phil McAlister said the certification changes the "trajectory of the history of manned space flights," and added that more people, scientific and commercial equipment can be delivered to Earth orbit and the ISS.

We are entering a new era of manned spaceflight, "said McAlister.

NASA's Artemis program aims to land American astronauts on the moon by 2024 and ensure a permanent human presence on this Earth satellite.

The agency's long-term goal is to send a manned spacecraft to Mars in the 2030s^[6] its^[7].

Raising $5 million in investments from Mindrock Capital

On October 14, 2020, it became known that Mindrock Capital invested $5 million in SpaceX. The market value of the aerospace company Elon Musk is estimated at $46 billion. Read more here.

Raising $1.9 billion in investments

SpaceX space company Elon Musk has raised $1.9 billion in investments as part of a new round of funding.

The company filed a corresponding application with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Investors in the round were not disclosed.

It is SpaceX's largest round to date, according to PitchBook.

The company held a new round after the successful launch of the Crew Dragon spacecraft with astronauts on board on May 30, 2020 - this was the first private manned flight to the ISS.

Russian fund Arctic Ventures bought SpaceX shares for $5 million

On June 15, 2020, it became known about the investment of the Russian Arctic Ventures fund in  SpaceX. The total amount of investments following the results of several transactions reached $5 million.

As Rusbase was told in the press service of Arctic Ventures, SpaceX shares were acquired in the secondary market through partners in several stages. Investors of the Mindrock Capital syndicate under the management of Pavel Cherkashin also took part in the transaction.

Russian fund Arctic Ventures bought SpaceX shares for $5 million

According to the owner of the fund, Anton Alikov, it is difficult for investors outside the United States to enter SpaceX-level companies even during official rounds. What is the share of Arctic Ventures in SpaceX, by June 15, 2020 is not specified.

The fund says that the growth rate of the space industry is estimated at 5.6% per year: the market is expected to increase from $360 billion in 2018 to $558 billion by 2026. These figures reflect only the current directions of development of the space industry, potential markets are not taken into account.

Most analysts rely on the old model, assessing the market by the state when the main customers for launching satellites into orbit were government organizations or the largest corporations. But the cheapening of satellite launch services and the discovery of space for business and tourism can dramatically change the current assessment.

SpaceX is developing a satellite operator through Starlink which it is planned to launch a network of 42 thousand satellites. This will provide fast Internet over 1 billion people. At the same time, SpaceX investors do not automatically receive a stake in Starlink, the fund explained.

Arctic Ventures focuses on companies in the late stages of investing, including pre-IPOs, in the online education, healthcare, aerospace technology, cybersecurity, e-commerce, advertising and marketing industries.^[8]

2018: Search for $500 million to create Starlink

On December 21, 2018, it became known that SpaceX intends to raise $500 million in capital to create a low-orbit satellite broadband system StarLink. Read more here.

2017

NASA vs SpaceX - what's the difference?

The conquest of space is a great feat, given that in the entire history of mankind only three countries sent a person into space. Now the interest of states and private companies in space programs is growing, which means that missions like the moon landing await us. But who will carry out these missions: NASA or SpaceX?

^[9] Naked Science^[10] prepared another translation of a new educational video. After watching it, you will learn about who is stronger in space programs: NASA or NASA's SpaceX^[11]

SpaceX has become the world leader in the number of launches

SpaceX made its twelfth successful payload launch into Earth's orbit in 2017 on August 24. Thus, at the time of publication of the note, the company is the world leader in the number of launches this year. Until that moment, she shared leadership with Roscosmos Corporation, which produced 11 successful launches. This is reported by the publication Ars Technica^[12][13].

SpaceX emphasizes reducing the cost of spacecraft launches, including through the reusable use of rocket parts and cargo modules. So, in 2015, the company first landed the first stage of the rocket, which put the cargo into orbit. In addition, the company, as part of one launch, has already successfully launched and landed the first stage flying into space, and also landed the rocket's head fairing. Due to this, as well as other optimization work, SpaceX expects to significantly reduce the cost and increase its share in the launch market.

How SpaceX changed the cost of one astronaut seat on a spacecraft. Data on the cost of launches at Soyuz from 2017 to 2020

From 2013 to 2016, SpaceX made an average of six successful launches per year, but significantly increased its pace in 2017.

SpaceX capitalization growth to $21 billion

SpaceX, led by American entrepreneur Elon Musk, has a market value of $21 billion. The data presented by the consulting firm Equidate was reported in July 2017 by The New York Times^[14].

In 2015, the capitalization of a private company was estimated at $11 billion. SpaceX's almost twofold rise in value is associated with the introduction of reusable technologies and the actual conquest of the commercial launch market, which increases its attractiveness for investors.

SpaceX has a reusable Falcon 9 rocket and a Dragon cargo ship at its disposal, and tests of a super-heavy carrier and a manned vehicle are planned. By the end of 2017, the company will account for 45 percent of the global market for commercial launches.

The New York Times notes that the capitalization of $20 billion was overcome, in addition to SpaceX, by such young and globally operating technology companies as American Uber, Airbnb, Palantir and WeWork, as well as Chinese Didi Chuxing and Xiaomi.

Falcon Factory video tour

Elon Musk posted on his Instagram page a "video tour" of the Falcon Factory, where the super-powered rockets of his company SpaceX^[15] being created^[16].

The personnel appeared online days after Elon Musk called out the timeline for the completion and launch of the Falcon Heavy superheavy rocket. According to the entrepreneur, SpaceX plans to deliver the completed Falcon Heavy rocket to Cape Canaveral within two to three months. And the launch will have to be worthy of another month after the installation of the rocket at the cosmodrome.

The Falcon Heavy is expected to be the most powerful rocket in the world. According to SpaceX representatives, the super-heavy launch vehicle will be able to carry more than 63,000 kg of payload to Earth orbit^[17]

SpaceX to test prototype satellites in late 2017

SpaceX is preparing to launch communication satellites to provide global internet access at a speed of 1 Gbps. The corporation plans to launch 4425 devices, according to a May speech by Vice President for State Projects Patricia Cooper.

Testing of the first prototypes is scheduled for late 2017 - early 2018. The first satellites will be launched into orbit in 2019, and by 2024 the entire group should be put into operation.

"The volume of traffic passing through global networks continues to grow. One vendor said that in 2016, global Internet protocol (IP) traffic exceeded the zetabyte threshold - meaning that more than 1 billion gigabytes of data were transmitted worldwide last year. By 2020, this figure will more than double (to a level almost 100 times higher than global IP traffic in 2005), and the number of devices connected to IP networks will triple the number of inhabitants of the planet, "the message

The satellites will be launched using the Falcon 9 rocket, the first stage of which is planned to be reused.

SpaceX first ever to re-launch rocket into space

SpaceX was the first in history to use one rocket for two launches into space. On March 31, she delivered a satellite to orbit for the company from Luxembourg. According to Reuters, the rocket, which had already been in space once and then successfully landed on a platform in the Atlantic Ocean, launched from Cape Canaveral and sent a SES-10 satellite into orbit by order of a company from Luxembourg. After that, she returned to Earth again and sat on the platform.

The re-launch of the Falcon 9 rocket was supposed to confirm the correctness of the theory of Elon Musk, who called it his goal to reduce the cost of space flights, CNN reported. The return of the device worth $62 million means a decrease in the cost of single launches. In addition, the SpaceX leadership indicated that the development of return ship technology will bring the study of other planets, including Mars, closer.

Iridium NEXT satellites

The Falcon 9 Raketa carrier with Iridium NEXT satellites launched on January 14 from the launch site of the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. This was the first launch of the Falcon 9 rocket after the accident in September 2016, although the company planned to start launches back in November 2016. The launch of the launch vehicle took place on Saturday, January 14, at 12:54 (20:54 Moscow time). Eight minutes later, the first stage of the rocket landed on an offshore platform in the Pacific Ocean.

The private space company SpaceX on January 18 published a photo of the landing of the first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket on an ocean platform. The launch of Falcon 9 was the first for SpaceX in 2017 and the first since the explosion of a rocket on the launch pad on September 1, 2016.

The American company Iridium Communications is withdrawing the first batch of the planned several dozen next-generation Iridium telecommunications satellites using the Falcon 9.

2016

SpaceX is known as the creator of the reusable Falcon 9 launch vehicle. Repeated use of rockets can significantly accelerate the development of the private space industry. The first successful landing of the Falcon 9 lower stage on the offshore platform was carried out in April 2016. But in early September, when launched at the cosmodrome at Cape Canaveral, the Falcon 9 exploded. In early January, SpaceX announced that the cause of the accident was a problem in one of the cylinders of a tank with liquid oxygen.

2015

Google may invest in SpaceX

Google is considering investing in SpaceX, a space technology company, in particular manned spacecraft for space flights. According to preliminary information, the amount of financial investments can be up to $10 billion. In particular, the IT giant is interested in using SpaceX satellites, which will ensure the transmission of high-quality Internet signal to areas where people do not have the opportunity to use the services of the "world wide web." Google is also implementing a joint project to organize the transmission of an Internet signal through specialized Project Loon balloons.

In February 2015, SpaceX confirmed raising a billion dollars as part of a venture round led by Google and Fidelity. Google and Fidelity will jointly own 10% of the company, according to SpaceX officials. A document filed by internet giant Google with the US Securities and Exchange Commission released the amount of the deal between SpaceX and Google - $900 million, confirming preliminary reports.

According to the document, on January 20, 2015, Google invested $900 million in SpaceX to support innovation in space transport and satellite infrastructure.

Space discounter Space X launched two satellites into orbit

Space discounter Space X has launched two telecommunications satellites into orbit. The Falcon 9 missile was launched from the American Cape Carnival cosmodrome. The first satellite belongs to Eutelsat, the second - to the Singapore company Asia Broadcast, both devices are manufactured by Boeing. The next Space X launch is scheduled for April 2015, the cargo will be delivered to the International Space Station.

Leonid Delitsyn, analyst at the FINAM investment holding:

Entrepreneur Elon Musk, also known for his electric cars, at some point realized that there were certain opportunities in the launch market to reduce cost. Companies that worked in this market were accustomed to generous government orders and competed mainly in the creation of increasingly powerful missiles that could increase the volume of cargo delivered to high orbits. At the same time, the telecommunications industry needed satellites to provide communication and television services, which at some times were not too interesting to the'old' industry players. Elon Musk saw here a gold mine more promising than space taxis, which the press mainly wrote about then. As a result, Space X became the first discounter in the space launch market.

Space X is one of the top three high-tech startups of the highest capitalization. The market estimates Musk's brainchild at $12 billion. The total investment in the company is $1.1 billion. It may be surprising that the capitalization of Space X with a comparable amount of invested funds is several times lower than that of the Uber taxi order management system (41.2 billion) and is almost equal to the cost of Dropbox. In our opinion, this is due to the significant risks of the industry and, quite possibly, the low margin of the business in the future. The fact is that the cost of the launch vehicles themselves is an order of magnitude lower than the cost of the payload that they put into orbit. It is unclear how viable the discounter's strategy is in this market at all. This is the main argument of more traditional manufacturers of launch vehicles - what difference does it make how much will be saved if the payload is lost? After all, it is an order of magnitude more expensive. To date, 15 Falcon launches account for one partial failure, which approximately reflects the risks of the approach. The main competitors of the company can be considered Boeing, Lockheed Martin, the French Arianespace and, of course, Roscosmos, but all of them, due to their specifics, are aimed not so much at reducing cost as at increasing the power of carriers.

One possible project that will allow Space X to pay off is Google's $10 billion project to launch four thousand satellites to an altitude of 750 kilometers. This project will provide access to the Internet, primarily in those countries where the Network is still not widespread. By launching satellite groups using his own carriers, Musk could have a synergistic effect - it is planned that the same specialists will work on the projects. However, this area is not free of competition either - it is known that British entrepreneur Richard Branson is investing in a competing OneWeb project.

2013: DST Global bought a stake in SpaceX and sold it for 2.5 times the benefit

In March 2022, 2022, Yuri Milner first said that he had invested Ilona Musk in SpaceX back in 2013. Read more here.

2008: NASA awarded SpaceX $1.6 billion contract

In 2008 NASA signed a contract with SpaceX for $1.6 billion. It was planned that this amount should be enough for 12 Dragon flights. In the future, the company hopes to increase the amount of the contract to $3.1 billion^[18].

On May 22, 2012, a Falcon 9 launch vehicle with a Dragon test unmanned capsule to the International Space Station (ISS) launched from Cape Canaveral. Dragon is the first commercial ship launched into space. The launch was broadcast live on NASA's website.

This is the second attempt to launch Dragon. 19 May 2012 the launch of the capsule was delayed due to technical problems found in one of the first stage engines of the Falcon 9 rocket.

The Dragon capsule was developed by the American company Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), it was created as part of the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program to build spacecraft capable of delivering cargo to the ISS after the shuttles were withdrawn from the American space program. The program is being implemented by the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

To put the ship into orbit, the Falcon-9 rocket carrier is used, which is also developed by SpaceX. The first launch of Falcon 9 took place in June 2010, and before that - in February and April 2010. - SpaceX has conducted fire tests on the engine and full-featured version of the rocket.

Notes