The space market is transforming - and SpaceX and ISRO are key players in the affordability game. SpaceX’s repeated success in recovering boosters—its Falcon 9 has flown 30 missions, and Starship tests signal a future of ultra-low-cost heavy-lift launches - has dramatically dropped launch costs, potentially cutting payload expenses by up to 80× according to Bain & Company. The Falcon 9 launch itself now costs around $70 million per mission, while internal estimates suggest unit costs may be as low as $15 million, aided by booster reusability . Starship’s fully reusable design could reach launching for $2–10 million, with per-kg costs projected to fall under $100 .

ISRO’s strength lies in “frugal engineering”. Its Mars Orbiter Mission cost just ₹450 crore (~$74 million) - making it the least expensive Mars mission ever. However, estimates suggest ISRO’s baseline launch cost may be 4–5× higher than SpaceX’s, and media analyses highlight how SpaceX’s innovations have eroded ISRO’s historical cost advantage.

In short, while both agencies are redefining cost-efficiency, SpaceX edges ahead thanks to reusability - though ISRO's ingenuity and low-budget mission design remain a compelling model for emerging space nations.