SpaceX has become a profitable company thanks to a NASA contract and Google’s investment.

While investors are wondering when Tesla will become a profitable company, another company Ilona Mask, SpaceX, is beginning to make a long-awaited profit . Space Exploration Technologies, such is the full name of the company, received a major contract from NASA in the amount of 4.2 billion US dollars. According to the contract, the company undertakes to deliver astronauts and payload to the ISS. In addition, the Pentagon may soon certify the transportation of military cargoes for SpaceX.

In addition, this company has a second promising area of ​​work - putting satellites into orbit, for which they pay well. For example, in January of this year, Google and Fidelity Investments invested about a billion dollars in SpaceX. For this money, investors receive 10% of the company's shares, which automatically gives us an understanding of the total price of SpaceX: 10 billion US dollars (at the moment). There are other investors, including Founders Fund, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Valor Equity Partners, and Capricorn. According to the company, 50 ship launches cost the company about $ 50 billion, and SpaceX has already started making money, although the company's spokesman has not yet specified the amount of income.

In 2015, the company should put into orbit 16 satellites, this is the maximum number of orders for the entire 13-year history of the company. Google gives the company orders for the output of satellites, and SpaceX puts them into orbit using their know-how.
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We deliver the Internet to remote regions

Google has its own plans for SpaceX’s satellite launch capabilities. Now "Corporation of Good" is implementing a project to provide access to the network of remote regions, where there is either no connection at all or it leaves much to be desired. A network of satellites should help in this (it is being developed by SpaceX itself).

Now the company employs about 4,000 people, and at the moment SpaceX has the most affordable prices for launching rockets and putting satellites into orbit. The minimum launch price of a satellite is only $ 60 million. The company's competitor, the United Launch Alliance, takes $ 225 million for a single launch.

Reusable Missiles

Musk promotes the idea of ​​returning missiles, landing stages. Thus, the device can be used repeatedly, cheapening the cost of launch. Now the company is “bringing” the technology of landing the return stage on the barge. There are technical problems, but they can be solved.

If the rockets become reusable, then the launch will be cheaper. It should be noted that for one launch the rocket uses fuel for only 200-300 thousand US dollars. But the cost of the rocket itself is about 60 million dollars.

For the time being, SpaceX is running smoothly

Next launch in three weeks.

- Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 2, 2015

But what about Mars? Gwynne Shotwell (Spacex spokesperson, Gwynne Shotwell), argues that the first manned mission to Mars can take place in 15 years.