When we think of “commercial” rockets, the ones that are enabling new types of business cases that empower the emerging space industry, it’s usually the small or medium lift class vehicles that come to mind. Those are the ones that are built to be pumped out repeatedly off an assembly line. They’re not perfect at the start, but are iterated such that each is a little improved over the last. For these rockets, affordability is often a higher priority than squeezing the last bit of performance out of the engines. I’m talking about vehicles like the RocketLab Electron, Virgin Orbit LauncherOne, or even at the larger end, the SpaceX Falcon 9.
My understanding is that Falcon 9 achieved its low price point due largely to its reusability. Amongst heavy lift vehicles, you noted Glenn is intended to be reusable. Do you believe heavy lift vehicles are now (or will in the next generation) move toward reusability, or are there constraints that make this unlikely?
Curious why Falcon Heavy isn't in this comparison - think it might change some of the pricing conclusions? That's to say nothing about the planned Starship/SuperHeavy.
My understanding is that Falcon 9 achieved its low price point due largely to its reusability. Amongst heavy lift vehicles, you noted Glenn is intended to be reusable. Do you believe heavy lift vehicles are now (or will in the next generation) move toward reusability, or are there constraints that make this unlikely?
Curious why Falcon Heavy isn't in this comparison - think it might change some of the pricing conclusions? That's to say nothing about the planned Starship/SuperHeavy.