Recently, I have read the maker's guide to high-power rocketry. In one of the early chapters, it stated that an H motor could be flown for about $20. Five years after the book’s release in 2018, an H motor now costs a minimum of around $40. This got me wondering about the changes in the cost of motors over time. I would like to create a chart to illustrate this change. If anyone has data or remembers the price of an H motor from approximately 2015 to 2023, it would be very helpful. Specific months would be ideal, but any data would be greatly appreciated.
Rocket Motor Pricing
- Thread starter Rocketjoe
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H70 1989 about $12; inflation and supply/demand
As for the difference in 2018 and today, look at gas prices and what food costs.
As for the difference in 2018 and today, look at gas prices and what food costs.
PS: I don't recall any $20 H motors in 2018, That was about 2010 pricing on a reload. $2018 was about $26-28 reload best I can remember
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Supply and demand are my main thought. I want to compare the prices to ether new HP flyer or number of flights at major events. If there had been an increase of new flyers or more flights, it might be a reason.
I don't think you will see an increase of more flights from 2018 to 2023. Huge reduction due to first the Covid stuff, and then the huge cost of travel to rocket launches that take lots of travel time to get to, unlike launching a park rocket.
Park Rockets are even hard to launch in a reasonable distance nowadays. We had a Soccer park that allowed park rockets that was about 30 mins away, but now they added baseball fields and fences and there is no way to fly and get your rocket back most of the time.
Bigger cost impact might be the general availability of AP. My bet is that something like the end of the STS program had a much bigger impact on the cost of HP motors than the total number of model rocket flights.
ATK is still making bunch of AP motors; but not like they did during STS.
I was at the Redstone Arsenal with the NAR team for NASA SLP when it was announced that the president said All of it was shut down , including Orion. It was a hard time for all; we were standing and looking at a very real life Orion Capsule at the time.
Senators later created the SLS system a few years later that is barely able to do things quick today. Certainly not by Space-X Speed...
FYI ATK has been a very good funder of the NASA Student Launch Program, When the president said NASA could not have funds to run it...
They paid to have it done on the UTAH Salt flats ... that was really fun to fly rockets on the salt...
Some of us on the NAR/NASA team after it was over even had an Alpha III launch on the Salt Flats; that was a hoot and even the President [or maybe VP at the time] of NAR at the time located it
They paid to have it done on the UTAH Salt flats ... that was really fun to fly rockets on the salt...
Some of us on the NAR/NASA team after it was over even had an Alpha III launch on the Salt Flats; that was a hoot and even the President [or maybe VP at the time] of NAR at the time located it
I think it was the VP, Trip did not recover it
JPalmer621
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I did hear that some of the companies are producing motors to support the war in Ukraine so less produced for us.
rokit
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You can use an internet archive resource to search vendor websites for the period you are interested in.
