Costs of SpaceX rideshare missions, Starlink internet service increasing citing excessive inflation

SpaceX just increased the cost of its Starlink internet service. The already pricey service has had its hardware and software costs raised. The service will increase from $100 per month to $110 per month starting in May. This coincides with the company increasing the minimum cost to fly on one of its rideshare mission.

In addition to the raised service cost, Starlink’s hardware cost has been increased to $599 for new customers. Those who already have deposits in place will pay $549, still a $50 increase.

While the upfront price is steep, for many of those without options for cable or fiber internet, the service is basically the only option for a high-speed internet connection. And the Starlink user terminals are expensive to make (even as SpaceX has continued to improve its costs).

In an email sent out, SpaceX listed the reason for the price increase as “excessive levels of inflation.”

This is the same reason SpaceX gave for its $100k increase in the minimum cost of a Falcon 9 rideshare mission, now starting at $1.1million.

Inflation and increased costs of goods around the world are hitting everyone, from consumer to business, so it wouldn’t be surprising if the cost of dedicated launches is also increasing, even if the change isn’t visible to the average consumer.

Also read: SpaceX dumps Spaceflight Inc, rideshare constellation provider