Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?
This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.
Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.
Jump in the discussion.
No email address required.
Notes -
My understanding was that the Mars rocket would be assembled in LEO from parts launched in Starships, and that a tanker configuration of Starship would be used to fuel it.
Nobody has this plan. The SpaceX manned-Mars plan is that the crew/cargo configurations of Starship are the Mars rockets, that will each send ~100T to Mars after refueling in LEO from a tanker filled by several reusable tanker-configuration Starship launches. The non-SpaceX Mars probe plans are the same as they've always been, to launch <4T to Mars directly via an expendable upper stage and a separate aerobraking shell. NASA's pre-SpaceX manned-Mars proposal was generally to assemble a Mars Transfer Vehicle in LEO, from parts launched on whatever heavy-lift was politically favored at the time (I see 5 Ares V launches in the 2009 study, for example), to put 80-90T on Mars ... but the cost was always in the $100B+ range and I wouldn't call any of the studies a "plan". Looks like the latest idea was to do (relatively minimal, thanks to SLS Block 2 plus some handwaving about nuclear-electric propulsion) assembly in lunar orbit instead?
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link