Study: India Has the Highest Space Launch Cost
The Spin
Narrative A
ISRO is quietly surpassing SpaceX on commercial launches — AST SpaceMobile chose India's LVM3 over Falcon 9, saving 15% on a 6,100 kg payload. ISRO runs on $1.5 billion annually versus NASA's $27 billion, yet still landed near the lunar south pole and reached Mars orbit on the first try. That kind of budget discipline isn't a limitation — it's a competitive advantage that's already winning real contracts.
Narrative B
India's launch costs hit four times SpaceX's. Without reusable rockets, that gap isn't closing anytime soon. SpaceX flew 165 missions in 2025 alone while ISRO averages three or four a year, and volume is exactly what drives costs down. Ambitions to earn $3.5 billion annually from foreign satellites by 2033 look shaky when no Indian rocket, public or private, can match SpaceX on price.