RE: RE: Mars Independence 10/12: Economy & Industry on Mars
You are viewing a single comment's thread from:

RE: Mars Independence 10/12: Economy & Industry on Mars

Words
146
Reading
1 min
Listen
Play
9M

Good point, didn't quite get the right. Here's a better/clearer (I hope) explanation. (Maybe I'll update the doc with this as well if it makes more sense to you.)

Mars produces propellant dirt cheap locally.
To export it:

  • Fill tanker on Mars with ~1 200 t propellant
  • Launch full from Mars – still only needs roughly twice the propellant of an empty launch because of low gravity (total ~300-400 t expended to get ~1 200 t payload to orbit/escape)
  • Net: deliver ~800-1 000 t pure propellant profit to LEO
  • Sell it there at market rates ($500-$2 000/kg)

Mars becomes the low-cost producer and exporter of fuel to the entire Earth-moon system.

The return trip is empty (or carrying high-value small cargo back), aerobrakes, lands with almost no fuel used, refills on Mars, repeat.

No need for Earth to send fuel out – Mars sends fuel in.

@kiwithinker: Good point, didn't | Ecency