SpaceX, however, exceeds NASA in all three dimensions: scope, cost efficiency, and speed. It's easy to become enamored of legendary projects like the Apollo missions, which did after all achieve a quantum leap in both technology and how humanity understood the universe. That's part of the reason they are so attractive.Last year, SpaceX spent $3.1 billion on a group of costs that included employee salaries, materials and spacecraft depreciation. That was up from $1.6 billion in 2021, the documents show. The company reported $1.3 billion on research and development expenses for 2022, an increase of 11% year over year.Despite reaping $3.5 billion in revenue from space launch in 2023, space launch is now SpaceX's smallest business. Turns out, SpaceX now makes most of its money from Starlink.

How much has SpaceX saved NASA : Here's one: NASA saved at least $548 million, and perhaps more, thanks to just one contract with Elon Musk's SpaceX. Last week, the US space agency tapped the company's Falcon Heavy rocket to launch a space probe to one of Jupiter's moons, Europa, in 2024.

Why is NASA paying SpaceX

NASA has awarded a contract modification to SpaceX to further develop its Starship human landing system to meet agency requirements for long-term human exploration of the Moon under Artemis.

Is NASA paying SpaceX : NASA on Wednesday announced it has awarded five more astronaut missions to Elon Musk's SpaceX, with a contract worth an additional $1.4 billion to the company. The extra flights fall under NASA's Commercial Crew program, which delivers astronauts and cargo to and from the International Space Station.

The more substantive aim of launching humans into space — which SpaceX achieved three years ago — is not expected until 2024, assuming no further delays. In sum, NASA is clearly slower to market and to iterate than SpaceX.

The company is one of NASA's most important contractors, as our chart shows. In the fiscal year 2022, the U.S. space agency NASA awarded Musk's company about $2 billion in contract volume out of its total approved budget of $24 billion.

How much money does NASA have

Annual budget

NASA's budget for financial year (FY) 2020 is $22.6 billion. It represents 0.48% of the $4.7 trillion the United States plans to spend in the fiscal year. Since its inception the United States has spent nearly US$650 billion (in nominal dollars) on NASA.In 2021, NASA signed a nearly $3 billion contract with his SpaceX to use its new Starship mega-rocket as the lunar lander for the first Artemis astronauts. SpaceX is preparing for its third Starship launch atop its enormous super-heavy booster.SpaceX is 10X cheaper with 30X lower cost overrun than NASA in lifting payload into space. Why Because SpaceX is platform-based, NASA not. “The space race is dominated by new contenders,” claims The Economist (18 October 2018).

SpaceX rocket boosters usually return to Earth in good enough condition that they're able to be refurbished, which saves money and helps the company undercut competitors' prices.

Why are SpaceX rockets cheaper than NASA : SpaceX rocket boosters usually return to Earth in good enough condition that they're able to be refurbished, which saves money and helps the company undercut competitors' prices.

Why did NASA give SpaceX money : In 2006, the company was selected by NASA and awarded $396 million to provide crew and cargo resupply demonstration contracts to the International Space Station (ISS) under the COTS program.

Why is NASA’s budget so low

Budgets are tight at NASA, especially for its science programs. NASA's Science Mission Directorate sought an increase of nearly half a billion dollars in its fiscal year 2024 budget proposal last year, but when Congress passed a final spending bill March 8, it instead got a cut of the same magnitude.

$180 billion

SpaceX, founded in 2002, is worth nearly $180 billion after a December 2023 tender offer of up to $750 million; SpaceX stock has quintupled its value in four years. Musk bought Twitter in 2022 for $44 billion, after later trying to back out of the deal.In 2021, NASA signed a nearly $3 billion contract with his SpaceX to use its new Starship mega-rocket as the lunar lander for the first Artemis astronauts. SpaceX is preparing for its third Starship launch atop its enormous super-heavy booster.

Who pays for SpaceX : SpaceX is privately funded. SpaceX developed its first launch vehicle—Falcon 1—and three rocket engines—Merlin, Kestrel, and Draco—completely with private capital.