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Bob Zubrin is one of the more influential Mars advocates. His architecture calls for using Mars as a propellent source. This innovation enables travel between the two planets with smaller, simpler rockets.
It seems like a natural extension of this line of thought would be to develop more propellent sources.
the lunar crust is about 40% oxygen by mass. Oxygen is 8/9 of the mass of Lox/Lh2 propellent. There is also water ice at the lunar poles. One estimate is 600 million tonnes of ice in sheets at least two meters thick. [link] Lunar hydrogen oxygen could be exported to the Earth Moon Lagrange 1 (EML1) neighborhood for 2.5 km/sec. If aerobraking is used, cargo could be sent from EML1 to LEO with as little as .7 km/sec.
The Martian moons, Phobos and Deimos, have low density. This at least suggests the presence of volatile ices. If so, these moons could also be used as gas stations.
Where Zubrin's architecture called for busting the rocket equation's exponents into 2 parts, the above 4 gas stations could bust the exponent into even smaller chunks. So travel between planets could be done with a motorcycle rather than a fuel tanker.
In terms of delta V, Phobos and Deimos are two of the most accessible locations in the solar system. In terms of launch windows and trip times, earth's moon Luna is the most accessible.
Sadly, part of the orthodox Zubrin doctrine is that any other destinations besides Mars are a waste of time and energy that are only distractions from the goal of reaching Mars. I believe this short-sighted view will actually prevent us from reaching Mars.
It seems like a natural extension of this line of thought would be to develop more propellent sources.
the lunar crust is about 40% oxygen by mass. Oxygen is 8/9 of the mass of Lox/Lh2 propellent. There is also water ice at the lunar poles. One estimate is 600 million tonnes of ice in sheets at least two meters thick. [link] Lunar hydrogen oxygen could be exported to the Earth Moon Lagrange 1 (EML1) neighborhood for 2.5 km/sec. If aerobraking is used, cargo could be sent from EML1 to LEO with as little as .7 km/sec.
The Martian moons, Phobos and Deimos, have low density. This at least suggests the presence of volatile ices. If so, these moons could also be used as gas stations.
Where Zubrin's architecture called for busting the rocket equation's exponents into 2 parts, the above 4 gas stations could bust the exponent into even smaller chunks. So travel between planets could be done with a motorcycle rather than a fuel tanker.
In terms of delta V, Phobos and Deimos are two of the most accessible locations in the solar system. In terms of launch windows and trip times, earth's moon Luna is the most accessible.
Sadly, part of the orthodox Zubrin doctrine is that any other destinations besides Mars are a waste of time and energy that are only distractions from the goal of reaching Mars. I believe this short-sighted view will actually prevent us from reaching Mars.
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The upward angle of Mars direct, in this picture, makes it seem as if all those other things are necessary and make it easier to get to Mars. They're not, and they don't.