[gravescale]

Loath as I am to say, but the SLS has a program cost over $20 billion and has launched only once to date (it did work, to be fair). Every single one they launch will be a one-way trip, so it's going to be a long time, if ever, until they can even get the per-launch cost down to under a billion.

Starship/Super Heavy "only" cost 5 billion as a program and also has 1 successful flight (and two Earth-shattering kabooms). So far, they're the economical ones by quite some margin.

It's not like Northrop Grumman and Boeing are known for being parsimonious with their money.

[colordrops]

Why are you loath to say it?

[gravescale]

Because I'm very much not the type to simp after people like Elon Musk and put them on some pedestal of genius, which is what, due to the wierd meme shit surrounding him, praise tends to sound like. Also it is sad that NASA is being worn like a meat-suit by the MIC, but that really isn't a new thing, and its almost its true purpose really.

But the engineers and even the managers at SpaceX really have done something very special.

And the engineers at NASA too, for that matter - nailing it on the first go is bloody hard and a great technical feat. It's also extremely expensive, but the spec is the spec.