Launch Cost Per Kilogram Calculator
The cost of putting a kilogram into orbit from a launch price and payload capacity — to low Earth orbit and to geostationary transfer — with the effect of flying part-full and what a given payload costs to launch.
Divide the price of a launch by the mass it can lift and you have the headline figure, which has fallen from tens of thousands per kilogram in the shuttle era to a few thousand today.
How the launch cost per kilogram calculator works
Divide the price of a launch by the mass it can lift and you have the headline figure, which has fallen from tens of thousands per kilogram in the shuttle era to a few thousand today. But launches rarely fly full: the effective cost is the price over the mass actually carried, and a half-full rocket doubles it.
Geostationary transfer costs more per kilogram because the same rocket carries a third of the mass that far.
Formula: cost per kg = price / payload; effective = price / (payload × fill)
Worked examples
| Inputs | Cost per kg to low Earth orbit | Note |
|---|---|---|
| A modern medium-heavy launcher | 2,939 | under 3,000 per kg |
| Flown half full | 2,939 | effective cost doubles |
| A small launcher | 25,000 | ten times the price per kg |
FAQFrequently asked questions
What does it cost to launch a kilogram?
A few thousand on a reusable medium-heavy rocket today, ten times that on a small dedicated launcher, and over 50,000 on the space shuttle. Rideshare on a big rocket is the cheapest way up.
Why is GTO dearer?
Because reaching geostationary transfer needs about 2.5 km/s more, which a given rocket buys by carrying a third of the mass. The per-kilogram price rises in proportion.
Why does the fill rate matter?
A launch costs the same whether the fairing is full or half empty. Operators price rideshare per kilogram to fill it; a dedicated launch of a small satellite pays for the whole rocket.
What is not in the launch price?
Insurance, the satellite itself, integration, and the upper-stage or kick-motor to reach a final orbit. Launch is often under a fifth of a mission's cost.
Will it keep falling?
Reuse cut the price several-fold in a decade. Fully reusable heavy launchers aim at hundreds per kilogram, which changes what is worth sending.
Where these figures come from
- NIST — CODATA 2018 fundamental physical constants — G and the speed of light
- IAU 2015 Resolution B3 — nominal solar and planetary conversion constants — the astronomical unit, solar mass and planetary radii
- NASA — the US space agency
Last checked: September 2026. Constants are CODATA 2018 (G, c) and IAU 2015 nominal values (solar and planetary parameters).