How do governmental space programs and private space companies make money?

Question

I imagine designing and building space craft and paying top scientists a wage costs A LOT of money.

So do government programs make money or does it just use up tax dollars without much return?

Also how does a company like SpaceX, for example, make their money?

In: 9

Answer 1

Government space programs are not designed to make money. Private space programs get a lot of their money from governments.

There are some parts that are profitable like putting satellites in orbit.

People will pay you to put their satellite in orbit for them. Some of the people who will pay you to put their satellites in orbit will be governments other will be private companies that actually make money with them.

SpaceX gets a lot of their money from the US governemtn and some from paying customers to put their satellite up there. Some of the satellites they put up are their own like starlink, which they hope to turn into a profitable business.