Next Big Future: Elon Musk could start making superlarge Mars colon...

Next Big Future: Elon Musk could start making superlarge Mars colon...: Elon Musk talks on CBS this morning about his Mars colonization rocket “We’ve got to restore American ability to transport astronauts with...



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That's what I've been spending most of this morning on.  Checking out this spreadsheet that I made that shows how much fuel you must carry depending upon the delta v for getting to a destination.  This is pretty hardwired stuff.  You can't get around it.  That is, you can't get around it with chemical engines that Musk has been flying.



The best solutions for chemical rockets that Musk is building is refueling stations.  If he isn't planning that, he is whistling Dixie.  You're going to need one at a LaGrange point on the way to Mars.  Taking off from Low Earth Orbit to Mars requires too much fuel.



Better solutions than chemical could be on the way.  I saw one this morning that could be a pretty good deal.  Don't know when or even if it may become available.  It's an ion/plasma engine with a delta v  ISP  in the five figures.  You see, you need engines like this to pre-position facilities in places like LaGrange points.  It takes awhile for the thing to get there, but once it does, you can start using the facility. {CORRECTED}



Musk will have to land on the Moon and grab some stuff off it.  Oxygen at the very least.  He can then send the oxygen up to the LaGrange point and use it to defray some of the mass penalty that using chemical engines will impose.



It would be a big help if he would mine Deimos/Phobos as well.  If you are going to land big ships, you are going to need a lot of fuel.



I didn't watch the video, but if I am not mistaken, I'd say Musk may have been smoking something.