Costs and payback

The economic model is based on the following principles:

• Serial and self-production reduction in equipment costs (PCTs, generators, storage units) by 30–50% due to scale.
• Localisation—the use of African resources, labour and construction materials, supported by Spon’s African Construction Cost Handbook.
• Account of current market prices for energy storage systems (BESS) and geothermal stations according to data for 2025–2026 years.
• Currency rates 1 USD ≈ 100 RUB / 0.90 EUR (for context). All calculations in US dollars 2025 The inflation rate is not the same as the year before. ±30% is in line with the standards of the preliminary TEE.

• Spon's African Construction Cost Handbook provides detailed data on construction costs in 13 African countries, including labor and material rates. There are no direct proportional figures for large diameter tunnels in the source due to the high variability of conditions, but it serves as a basis for calibrating estimates.

• When ordering in series (40 the main + 240 service collector + 40 TPPs) and organizing their own assembly line (Gabon and DR Congo) the costs are reduced by 30–50%.

• Real geothermal station with capacity 35 The MW in Kenya (Menengai) is down to ~$35–40 That's a million dollars, which is a lot of money.1,000–1,250/kW (with the drilling and steam wells in mind). When building in series 40 The cost of the station and the localization of production can be estimated at $800–1,200- It's a kilowatt.
• The cost of one station 2.5 GW: $2.0–3.0 billion.
• Cost of 40 stations: $80–120 billion.
• This assessment is confirmed by the lower limit of costs for Russian GeoTES (according to ITURUP about $650/kWt) and the upper limit for complex projects ($1,500/kWt).
• The calculation is based on the upper estimate of the total power of the GATES in 100 GW. The actual available power can only be estimated after geological exploration and can be much lower, up to units of gigawatts. In this case, the funds released go to the construction of alternative energy sources.

The storage system has three levels:

Primary level—long-duration storage at the terminals

• It is located on 40 terminals. It provides energy storage for one run (360 GWh] with a reserve.

• The total capacity of the primary level: 360 GW·h (full cycle of displacement).70% of the gravity/GAS, 30% BESS) value:

• The range of uncertainties: $22–35 billion.

Secondary level—buffer storage beside the tunnel windings

• Machines (inertia accumulators): are located directly by the wrappers and are used to smooth transition processes.0.5–1 For buffered cavities 1–5 GWh $0.5–5 billion .

Pulse level—microsecond stabilisation

• Ionistors (supercapacitors): Their function is to compensate for microsecond pulses and stabilize voltage when the load jumps sharply. 1% of the power output (1–3 (GW) With the relative value of the pulse systems $300–500/kWt·h $0.3–1.5 billion.

Total storage-system costs

• The $0.06–0.15 billion R&D budget is not fixed. If more deeply worked, a full-size prototype of the gateway was built, or large-scale testing on the stand could cost $0.5–3.0 billion. Therefore, the CAPEX table shows the range of $0.1–3 billion, and the median value is accepted for $1.5 billion.

• Key conclusion: The median cost of the StarRoad project is about $300 billion.

• All data in this subsection are strictly theoretical.

Evolution of launch frequency and cost per kilogram

• StarRoad does not reach full capacity immediately. Launch frequency and payload-delivery cost evolve as additional lines enter service, the shuttle fleet expands and orbital infrastructure is deployed.
• Model of delivery-cost evolution in USD/kg to GEO and above:

Calculation of launch cost per kilogram

• Formula for each period: Ckg = (Cenergy + Cmaintenance + Cdepreciation + Coperations) / Mpayload, where:
• Cenergy is the cost of electricity, including cooling and auxiliary systems.
• Cmaintenance is maintenance of shuttles and infrastructure.
• Camort depreciation of capital costs (CAPEX, $300 billion, depreciation period 50 years).
• Coperations is other operating expenditure, including staff, logistics and insurance.
• Mpn mass of useful load per single launch (10 000 t).
• Resulting parameters by period:

Launch-cost structure in absolute figures

• For the average year in each period (for example 10 000 t of useful load):

Key calculation assumptions

• Energy: the base price $0.05/kWh for the first years; by 26+ year it drops to $0.005/kWh thanks to the CSE and its own geothermal power.
• Tech-service (TO): in the pilot period high (repair, repair, overcrowding); by the 10 year automated conveyor TO.
• Amortization: CAPEX $300 billion is distributed over 50 years → $6 billion/year. At 250 launches/year it is $24 million/launch. Either the same annually compensated CAPEX ($6 billion/year) is counted as a constantly growing investment stream directed at building new StarRoad branches.
• CSES (Space Solar Power Plants): starting in 16 year, provide energy to orbital plants and partially to the accelerator, reducing energy costs and increasing sales revenue by orders of magnitude.

Integrated dynamics: revenue versus cost

• Note: GATES's energy sales revenue ($35–44 billion/year) is not included in this table it goes in a separate stream, covering depreciation and operating costs of infrastructure.

Conclusion on cost dynamics

• StarRoad starts with a $80–120/kg (GSO and above) withdrawal price which is already 10–15 times cheaper than Falcon Heavy (NOO $1,400/kg) and comparable to the Starship's target price (NOO $200/kg). By the year 10, the price drops to $10/kg, and by the year 25 it drops to $1/kg. By the 30 year, with 5+ lines and support for the CCS, the price reaches less than $0.5/kg, making space resources (solar energy, asteroid metals) economically available to earth industry.
• The key conclusion: even in the pilot period StarRoad is competitive. 30 years.

• The economic model shows that StarRoad is a CAPEX project with a median of about $300 billion.
• The GATES ($80–120 billion) is the most expensive component, but pays off as an independent energy project for 5–7 years.
• Tunneling ($77–125 billion) is a technologically viable task using serial TPCs and own production.
• The accumulators ($23–42 billion) are based on falling BESS prices ($125/kW·h) and gravitational systems with the best world practices in mind.
• The R&D ($0,1–3 billion) corresponds to real prototyping costs, not full-scale construction.
• Economic attractiveness: StarRoad generates $35–44 billion/year from energy sales alone at the base price of $0.05/kWh, By covering operational costs and ensuring a return on investment from energy exports before full space launches begin.