India's 2025 LEO launch cost $13,302 per kg tops worldwide
Technology
Turns out, sending stuff to space from India costs more than anywhere else.
A new study says launching one kilogram into low Earth orbit here will set you back $13,302 in 2025, way above the global average of $3,868.
For context, the US pays $3,225 per kilogram and Europe pays $9,897.
Small rockets drive India's launch costs
Researchers point to ISRO's heavy use of small rockets. Since these rockets carry less and fixed costs stay the same, each launch ends up costing more.
Plus, India only had five launches in 2025, even with hundreds of startups in the space game, which means many Indian satellites are hitching rides on foreign rockets like SpaceX.
ISRO is still making big moves, but lowering costs could help India compete globally and support its growing space industry.