What are launch costs?

Launch costs are how much it takes to send something up into space from Earth.

Imagine you have a toy car that you want to drive on the moon. To get there, your toy car needs a rocket, like a super-fast elevator that goes all the way up through the sky. But rockets aren’t free, they cost a lot of money, just like buying a big new toy or going on a family trip.

Sending things to space is like mailing a letter, but instead of using a stamp, you use fuel and power. The bigger the package (or the more toys you want to send), the more fuel you need, which means the more money it costs.

Sometimes, sending just one toy up there can cost as much as buying a whole new bike! That’s why scientists and engineers work really hard to make rockets better, so we can send more things into space without spending too much money.