I wasn't familiar with the Super Strypi, so I googled it and found this source. It claims that a Super Strypi could put a 300 pound payload into a polar orbit for $5 million. That works out to $16,667 per pound to a polar orbit. Not exactly CATS.
From the SpaceX site, their Falcon I booster has a price of $5.9 million for contracts completed this year and has a predicted ability to put 430 KG (946 pounds) into a 700 KM sun synchronous orbit. That's 3 times the payload capacity for an 18% increase in cost, or $6237 per pound to a near polar orbit.
How many 300 pound payloads are there, especially at that cost per pound? If Falcon I works, it'll be much more economical. It isn't hard to see why Sandia had trouble getting the funding. Besides, why should a national lab be competing with private industry?
It's the Falcon V that really interests me. For a projected cost of $15.9 million, it's projected to be able to lift 4,780 KG (10,516 lbs) to a sun synchronous orbit. That works out to $1,512 per pound. If you're talking about a 200 km 28 degree inclination orbit, the Falcon V has a predicted capacity of 6,020 KG (13,244 lbs), or $1,200 per pound. If they can meet those price and performance goals, we're talking about prices competitive even with the SL-04 Soyuz booster. That would gut sales of most Delta II boosters.
Space/Science » in reply to Super Strypi
re: Super Strypi
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