In 2016, United Launch Alliance (ULA) CEO Tory Bruno had a dream: to beat SpaceX on launch prices -- or at least come close.

Eight years ago, the former Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) executive announced ULA's plan to develop a new rocket that would launch for less than $100 million and put the company within a stone's throw of SpaceX's then-current $61 million launch price. The goal seemed fantastic at the time. ULA's -built (NYSE: BA) Delta IV rocket, after all, cost as much as $400 million per launch. The company's Lockheed-built Atlas V was a bit cheaper -- but nowhere near $61 million cheap.

Eight years later, though, this goal is within Bruno's grasp. Media reports estimate that Vulcan, which has already begun launching, costs about $110 million -- pretty close to $100 million after accounting for eight years of inflation. Even more surprising, Elon Musk himself seems to be helping narrow the price difference between ULA and SpaceX.

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Source Fool.com