How efficiently can rockets launch payloads or crew? Human space missions are 3-5-times more expensive than satellite missions because of the more complex requirements for life support, safety, redundancy, and mission planning. Reusability is widely considered the single most significant game-changer for human access to space, fundamentally shifting the industry from a ‘disposable’ model to a ‘transportation’ model. SpaceX has been known to reuse the first stage more than 30 times for launch missions. Unnikrishnan Nair S. is former director, VSSC and IIST; founding director, HSFC; and an expert in launch vehicle systems, orbital re-entry, and human spaceflight technologies.

Source: The Hindu January 21, 2026 07:49 UTC