Comment by jjk166

Comment by jjk166 2 days ago

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Note that SpaceX's whole schtick at the beginning was to specifically go for a very cheap single use rocket. All of their design decisions were based around making the Flacon 1 and later the Falcon 9 easy to mass produce. This was the prevailing philosophy after the Space Shuttle's reusability failed to bring down launch costs. SpaceX tried that and they failed to achieve the cost savings they wanted. That's when they pivoted to reusability, which did work, propelling them from well branded newcomer to dominant player in the launch market.