—MichaelBelfiore
ThefounderofSpaceXisElonMusk,athirty-three-year-oldphysicsmajorfromSouthAfricawhomadehisfortuneasanearlystageinvestorinvariousInternetcompaniesincludingZip2(acquiredbyCompaqfor$22million)andPayPal(whichwassoldtoeBayfor$1.5billionnettingMuskover$200millionpersonally).ElonMusk'slong-termobjectiveistoenablethecolonizationofMarsbyhumans.Heseesbeingabletolaunchcommercialsatellitescheaplyasagoodsteppingstonetoacquiringthetechnicalcapabilitiesrequiredforhumanspaceflight.
"TransportationissuchafundamentalinputtoanybusinessplanthatIthinktherearegoingtobealotofapplicationsthatpeoplecan'tevenguessattoday.Themostsignificantbusinessisprobablypeoplethatwanttogotospace."
—ElonMusk
Todrivedownthecostofsatellitelaunches,SpaceXhasidentifiedthefivemaincostdriversandisnowworkingtoprogressivelyreduceeachofthesedrivers:
■Overhead—replaceahugebureaucracylikeNASAwithasmallentrepreneurialcompanywithlowercosts.
■Rocketengines—replacecomplexdesignswithsimpletwo-stagerocketswhichwillneedsimplifiedcontrolandmanagementsystems.
■Structures—theactualbodyoftherocket,itsfuelandoxidizertanks.Again,bystickingtosimpledesigns,muchunnecessarycomplexitycanbeeliminated,whichhastheeffectofloweringcosts.
■Avionics—thesophisticatedcomputersandsoftwarewhichcontroltheothercomponentstoguidetherocketintheintendeddirection.
■Thelaunchoperation—whichSpaceXaccomplisheswithalaunchteamoftwelvetofifteenpeopleratherthanthe300ormoretypicallyusedbysatellitelaunchcompanies.