Study says SpaceX saves NASA money; ULA feels no schedule pressure to pick Blue Origin over Aerojet engine; Snapchat ad buyers say all hope is not yet lost.

Study Says SpaceX Saves NASA Money

A new research paper by Edgar Zapata of the Kennedy Space Center says the supply services offered by SpaceX and Orbital ATK have cost NASA two to three times less than if the space agency had continued to fly the Space Shuttle, reports Ars Technica. The analysis of development and operational expenses, as well as vehicle failures, found that SpaceX had cost NASA about $89,000 per kg of cargo delivered to the space station, compared to the Space Shuttle which would have cost $272,000 per kg.

ULA Feels No Pressure to Pick Blue Origin Over Aerojet Engine as Deadline Nears

Tory Bruno, chief executive of United Launch Alliance, said Nov. 9 that he doesn’t feel any urgency to select a main engine for his company’s next-generation Vulcan rocket, despite an impending deadline for an Air Force launch competition, SpaceNews reports. ULA has long indicted it prefer Blue Origin’s BE-4 rocket engine over Aerojet Rocketdyne’s AR1, but wants to wait until the favorite completed a series of test firings to confirm it would be suitable.

Snapchat Ad Buyers Say All Hope Is Not Yet Lost

Snapchat’s ad buyers see hopeful signs in the upcoming redesign, lowered CPMs and Snapchat’s helpful sales team as reasons to continue spending on the platform, DigiDay reports. But many still see Snapchat as a niche ad opportunity, citing its relatively small audience compared with giant rivals.

Technology reporter Garrett Reim can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @garrettreim for the latest in L.A. tech news.