Reusable rockets make space elevators economically non-viable
the verdict
CONTESTED PARTIAL
refutedsupported
the weight of evidence
1 source for · 1 against
AS REPORTEDno primary record reached; this is what the reporting says
Available evidence presents conflicting partial views: some sources suggest that prospective cost reductions in reusable rockets could rival or underbid space elevators, while others argue that space elevators retain fundamental advantages in power and scale.
Space elevator economics
Space elevator economics compares the cost of sending a payload into Earth orbit via a space elevator with the cost of doing so with alternatives, like rockets.
## Costs of current systems (rockets)
The costs of using a well-tested system to launch payloads are high. The main cost comes from the components of the launch system that are not intended to be reused, which normally burn up in the atmosphere or are sent to graveyard orbits. Even when reusing components, there is often a high refurbishment cost. For geostationary transfer orbits, prices are as low as about US$ 11,300/kg for a Falcon Heavy or Falcon 9 launch. Costs of low Earth orbit launches are significantly less, but this is not the intended orbit for a space elevator.
### Proposed cost reductions
Various adaptations of the conventional rocket design have been proposed to reduce the cost. Several are currently in development, like the SpaceX Starship. An aspirational price for this fully reusable launch vehicle is $10 per kilogram ($4.5/lb), significantly cheaper than most proposed space elevators. New Glenn is also currently in development, a partially reusable rocket that promises to redu
# Would reusable rockets render the idea of space elevators useless?
Tags: reuse, space-elevator, economics
- Score: 14
- Views: 5732
- Answers: 7
- Answered: yes
- Asked by: harsh99 (509 rep)
- Asked: 2017-11-02
- Edited: 2017-11-03
- Site: space
- Closed: closed
## Question
With the expected advances in reusable rocket technology within the next decade, will constructing a space elevator become meaningless? Or will it still be way cheaper, safer and convenient to use them?
## Answers
### Answer by JMekker (score: 29)
A Space Elevator would still be amazingly useful
The two factors that come to mind are forms of power and scale:
Power
With a space elevator connected to the ground, you could use the energy in your power grid to lift everything up. By doing this, we can use green and renewable energies.
With rockets, baring any massive advancements, we are restricted to using chemical energy. So not only to we have to specifically manufacture the fuel, but the entire process maybe less efficient. Not to mention the environmental effects of burning millions of tons of methane if you want something big in orbit.
Scale
Most likely, we'd be able to bring much larger masses