Publicly cited price to put one kilogram into low Earth orbit on the cheapest available rocket — the headline number reusability is driving down. The Space Shuttle cost roughly $54,500/kg; a reused Falcon 9 is about $2,600/kg; Starship aims far lower.
$2,600Reached · 2025~$200/kgStarship's stated target for cheap, frequent heavy-lift access.
Dollars per kilogram to orbit is the single figure that decides what becomes possible in space — and it has fallen ~20× since the Shuttle. We explain the number and why headline prices need caveats.