Russia space chief slams Elon Musk over predatory pricing for launches

The head of Russia’s space agency on Saturday accused Elon Musk’s SpaceX of predatory pricing for space launches, South China Morning Post reported.

“Instead of honest competition on the market for space launches, they are lobbying for sanctions against us and use price dumping with impunity,” Rogozin wrote on Twitter.

Rogozin, who is often outspoken on Twitter and previously engaged in online banter with Elon Musk, on Friday raised the issue during a meeting with President Vladimir Putin.

He said the Roscosmos space agency “is working to lower prices by more than 30 per cent on launch services to increase our share on the international markets.”

“This is our answer to dumping by American companies financed by the US budget,” he said.

The market price of a SpaceX launch is US$60 million, but Nasa pays up to four times that amount, he said.

Musk responded to the criticism Saturday by saying on Twitter: “SpaceX rockets are 80 per cent reusable, theirs are 0 per cent. This is the actual problem.”