April 12th 2018

300 E. Street SW, Suite 5R30

Washington, DC 20546

Dear NASA ARM Team,

The SpaceX Big Falcon Rocker(BFR) development team has become very interested in the Asteroid Redirect
Mission(ARM) that has been proposed for the 2020’s. In recent years we have been working on a rocket that
we believe can help bring down the cost of the mission as well as provide a reliable and safe launch platform.

The BFR
Our next generation rocket platform, the BFR, is designed to be a deep space interplanetary vehicle. The
ultimate goal of this rocket is to carry out manned missions to Mars. The BFR is slated to be ready for use in
the early 2020’s, this lines up perfectly with your needs of a powerful, inexpensive rocket to take the modules
for the ARM to near Earth space. Our goal is to work side by side with you within the confine of the mission
and develop a variant of the BFR specific tailored for carrying the ARM modules. Not only will this collaboration
allow the ARM mission to be a success it will also serve as a preliminary showcase of the BFRs ability to
operate within deep space.

Preparing the Rocket

We are requesting some information about the specifics of the launch. This will include the total weight of the
module as well as the range necessary to complete the mission. With this information we can begin to tailor a
rocket specifically designed for this mission. Below you will find the most urgent question to begin drawing up a
draft of the BFR variant that will be used for the ARM mission.
1. What is the specific asteroid to be targeted, and what is the total distance to the asteroid?
2. What will be to total payload of the ARM module as well as the asteroid once it is captured?
3. Will gravity assists be used, or will it be an attempted straight shot towards the asteroid?
Cost and Reliability
We are aware that the Atlas V launch platform has been the tried and true mainstay of NASA for many years
when it comes to launching satellites or probes. However, we also have a long history of successful launches,
with 18 in 2017 alone and at least four of them fulfilling NASA contracts. In comparison the BRF is also
significantly more cost effective than the Atlas V. We estimate that the manufacturing and fuel per launch will
bring the BFR to 42 million dollars, this is compared to the Atlas V’s 109 million launch cost. With your
continued trust we know we can provide the best launch platform to make the ARM a success.

Thank you for your time and for considering SpaceX to help keep NASA a global leader is space travel.

Sincerely,

Garrett A. Fuchs
BFR Team Lead