[dougmwne]

I was wondering, so in case you were too, that other recently introduced rocket that has a <$5k/kg launch cost is the Russian Angara A5. It has flown twice. Falcon 9 has flown over 100 times. SpaceX really does have an incredible lead on the competition.

[avmich]

The dataset doesn't include options to buy during a good chunk of 1990-s a Proton launch for some $30 millions. That's a carrier with upwards of 20 tons payload capabilities to LEO. Soyuz rocket family also has periods in history when prices were quite low; SpaceX phenomenon touches only the last 10 years at best - and it's in last 10 years when Proton became particularly unreliable and Soyuz maybe more expensive.

[hughes]

How much useful payload did the A5 deliver in those two flights?

[dougmwne]

None. Both launches were of mass simulators.