How Much Does a SpaceX Crew Launch Really Cost?

The whole world is cheering as two astronauts, who were stuck on the space station for the past nine months, have finally returned to Earth. It’s a moment of relief for NASA to bring them back, and it is also crucial for space research, providing valuable insights for the crew and future developments.

Now, let’s take a deep dive into the estimated budget that NASA has spent on the Crew Launch System from SpaceX. NASA does not disclose the exact cost of the Crew-9 mission alone, as it is part of a broader contract with SpaceX under the Commercial Crew Program. However, based on available data, we can estimate the expenses.

In 2022, NASA extended its contract with SpaceX for three additional missions (Crew-7, Crew-8, and Crew-9) at a total cost of $776.1 million, averaging approximately $258.7 million per mission. This fixed-price contract covers the launch, spacecraft operations, and the return of astronauts to Earth.

The Crew-9 mission, launched on September 28, 2024, and concluding with a splashdown on March 18, 2025, involved sending two astronauts (Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov) to the International Space Station (ISS) and returning four, including Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who were stranded due to Boeing’s Starliner issues.

The cost of Crew-9 likely aligns with the $258.7 million average, though it could be slightly higher due to the mission’s unique circumstances, such as accommodating extra crew members. For context, earlier Commercial Crew missions averaged around $90 million per seat, but Crew-9’s specific per-seat cost has not been detailed separately.

On the other hand, Boeing also launched its spacecraft, which was estimated to charge around $360 million for a four-person crew. However, due to repeated defects in the crew capsule, the mission was postponed multiple times.

Even after launch, the spacecraft encountered issues, including helium leaks and thruster malfunctions. As a result, NASA decided to return the spacecraft uncrewed in September 2024, leaving the astronauts on the ISS.

NASA’s Office of Inspector General estimated in 2019 that each Starliner seat costs about $90 million, implying a rough mission cost of around $360 million for a four-person crew. The Crew Flight Test (CFT), with only two astronauts, suggests a proportional cost closer to $180 million from NASA’s perspective, though this remains an estimate based on the broader contract.