Robert:
There is too little data to make any assertion about stage longevity at
this point.
However, ignoring propellant and launch operations costs, five flights per
booster would indicate a cost per booster at 20% of the manufactured cost,
not including refurbishment between flights. The former is around $30-35
million, so $6-7 Million per flight, again, not including refurbishment. If
an overhaul costs more than about $6 million, it would make more sense to
simply build a new five launch lifetime stage.
We may note that compared to a $50 million price, these depreciated stage
cost estimates suggest either a good deal of profit or that other costs
(launch operations, refurbishment) are high.
Bill
On Mon, Mar 23, 2020 at 8:51 AM Robert Steinke <robert.steinke@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
From hobbyspace.com about the latest Falcon 9 launch:
" A first stage engine shut down prematurely (just before staging) but
had no effect on the mission as the other 8 engines made up the difference.
The booster also failed to make a successful landing on a sea platform.
This was the fifth flight of this booster."
That was after a previous launch attempt aborted due to slightly high
power.
Wonderful demonstration of engine-out fault tolerance, but it does look
like the rocket is showing some wear and tear after 5 flights. What does
this do to their economics if stages need an overhaul/have an increased
chance of loss of vehicle after only 5 flights?