Layer 2 of 5
Launch to Orbit
The transport layer. The cost to reach orbit has collapsed — and is still falling.
$100–200/kg Starship cost target · $1.5–2T SpaceX IPO valuation
Investor angle
Rocket Lab is the clearest public pure-play on falling launch cost, scaling from small Electron launches to the mid-size Neutron. The risk is execution: rockets slip, and Neutron's timeline is the swing factor.
Why money flows here
Launch is the toll booth of the space economy. The cost to put a kilogram in orbit fell from roughly $65,000 on the Shuttle to about $2,700 with SpaceX, with Starship targeting $100–200. A possible SpaceX IPO near a $1.5–2T valuation would re-price the entire layer.
Companies in this layer
Rocket Lab is a pure-play on falling launch costs, positioned to benefit from the SpaceX IPO re-rating the transport layer, scaling from Electron to Neutron.