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Elon Musk

06/20/25

@ Y Combinator

A first principles approach to determining the cost of a rocket involves looking at the materials it is made of, their weights, and the material prices per kilogram, rather than relying on historical costs.

Video

Elon Musk: Digital Superintelligence, Multiplanetary Life, How to Be Useful

@ Y Combinator

Elon Musk: Digital Superintelligence, Multiplanetary Life, How to Be Useful

06/20/25

Related Takeaways

Shyam Sankar

04/23/25

@ a16z

The cost of launching payloads into orbit has drastically decreased from $50,000 per kilogram to as low as $10 to $20 with advancements like SpaceX's Starship.

Elon Musk

03/20/13

@ TED

We've achieved a significant reduction in rocket building costs, around 75%, through innovations in airframe, engines, and launch operations.

Elon Musk

12/29/21

@ Lex Fridman

Starship is the most complex and advanced rocket ever made, and its fundamental optimization is to minimize the cost per ton to Mars.

Elon Musk

03/20/13

@ TED

The big innovation in space travel is making rockets reusable, which could lead to a 100-fold improvement in the cost of spaceflight.

Eric Migicovsky

10/13/18

@ Y Combinator

Relativity Space's approach to 3D printing rockets aims to reduce integration time by printing the entire rocket in one piece, which could revolutionize the industry.

Jeff Bezos

12/15/23

@ Lex Fridman

Manufacturing large rocket structures is challenging, but small rocket components can be assembled by hand without heavy machinery.

Jeff Bezos

12/15/23

@ Lex Fridman

The use of carbon composites in modern rocketry allows for incredibly light and strong structures that were unimaginable in the 1960s.

Tom Blomfield

07/26/24

@ Y Combinator

It's crucial to never start pricing based on costs; instead, use the value equation as a foundation and let costs serve as a minimum threshold for pricing.

Y Combinator Cast

12/22/23

@ Y Combinator

The decreasing cost of launching payloads into space resembles Moore's Law, indicating a future filled with innovative possibilities in space exploration.