Value chain · CLM-0410
In plain terms
Switching from chemical rockets that need refuelling to electric thrusters that do not would cut the electricity cost by about two-thirds, matching what NASA itself found.
The claim as recorded
Removing chemical-propellant refuel launches by assuming electric orbital transfer (12:1 refuel ratio -> 0, with a correlated +17.2% system mass penalty for propulsion hardware, matching the report's own treatment) reduces this model's RD1 LCOE from 0.623 to 0.207 USD/kWh, a 67% reduction, closely matching the report's own reported 62-69% saving for this scenario.
Scope and limits
Does not model the report's own noted trade-off that electric transfer takes about four months instead of one, which could affect financing-cost timing at higher discount rates; not tested here.
What it assumes
Refuel-ratio removal and the +17.2% mass penalty are varied together, never independently, because they are two consequences of the same propulsion-architecture choice (correlation handled per this task's own instruction).
Where it comes from
This is the project's own working, shown in full:
Trace, Section 7: electric propulsion scenario -> LCOE 0.2069 $/kWh, |delta| 0.4162 from 0.6231 baseline; SRC-012 printed p.74 (PDF p.91): "62% total cost savings for the Innovative Heliostat Swarm".
Basis: FY2022 USD, nominal; discount rate 3%; RD1
Related records
- Answers question
- QST-004 not published in this release
- Supersedes
- CLM-0254 not published in this release
Cite this
energyaperture.com/c/clm-0410
CLM-0410, Energy Aperture, as of 2026-09.
Connected records
Other published records linked to this one. A list, not a judgement.
- Also from SRC-012
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