Analyses of current market conditions show that the demand for launches is currently driven by a small customer base. Launches of current science missions and communications satellites amount to no more than 20 launches per year.⁴ The analyses also show that this demand is inelastic with price.⁵ Projections show that once the price to space drops below $600/lb, new customers may then utilize the lower costs to begin future operations in space, increasing the demand for launches beyond the current levels. Figure 2 shows the projections, and is reproduced without exact data points.⁴

Figure 2: Market Elasticity

New commercial customers include pharmaceutical and microchip producers. Other ventures may include SDI or ‘Star Wars’ type programs, planetary asteroid defense, or manned Lunar or Mars missions.⁵