Space Price Index
The Space Price Index (SPI) is a tool used to measure the current and historical price of launch services from all commercial launch providers. It is intended to provide accurate, up-to-date information on the relative affordable labor cost of launching into space.
The Space Price Index is created and maintained by the International Institute of Space Commerce (IISC), a not-for-profit organization devoted to promoting awareness and understanding of the economic, legal and regulatory environment of the commercial space industry. The IISC compiles launch pricing samples from a variety of sources, including launch service providers, industry associations, news websites, and other sources. These prices are then analyzed and weighted to accurately reflect the average cost of a launch into Earth’s orbit.
In addition to aggregation and weighting of data, the index also includes a number of analytical factors that are considered when calculating the index. These factors include launch vehicle type, payload size, launch window and other external factors, such as market demand and competition.
The Space Price Index covers spacecraft on a variety of orbits and trajectories, including those which go beyond Earth’s orbit. This index not only provides valuable insight into the cost of launches across the world, but also supplies useful industry metrics to those involved in the planning of space exploration missions and the procurement of various launch services.
One of the most important aspects of the Space Price Index involves how it is used by the commercial space industry. The SPI is routinely used by space exploration groups and governments worldwide to help inform their decision-making processes when planning, executing, and budgeting for an upcoming space mission. Even without a specific space mission in mind, the SPI can be consulted to gauge the relative cost of commercial launches, allowing businesses to plan smarter and more efficiently.
The Space Price Index is used to monitor the cost of launch services and identify trends and fluctuations in the market. This allows commercial spaceflight organizations to make informed decisions about how to move forward with their ventures. For example, if the SPI indicates that launch costs are increasing, a company would be well-advised to explore alternative cost-saving strategies. Since 2004, more than 44 countries around the world have used the Space Price Index to inform their decisions.
Using the Space Price Index to inform decisions is not limited to just the commercial spaceflight industry. Governments of all sizes, from governments within the European Union to cities and counties within the United States, are beginning to incorporate the Space Price Index into their decision-making processes to ensure the sustainability of their space exploration and communications activities.
Through its accurate and reliable aggregation of the latest launch pricing data, the Space Price Index has become an invaluable tool for everyone involved in the commercial space industry. By bringing transparency to the marketing of launches, the index helps to increase efficiency while reducing uncertainty, allowing businesses to stabilize their operations while cutting costs. In addition, the index helps to identify potential suppliers and inform decision-making related to launch missions, all of which leads to better exploration, communication and utilization of space.
