Space/Science — HabitableZone

Space/Science » in reply to Mars or Moon...

There's a reason Mars hab drawings are far bigger than the lunar lander
Buster — (archived)

Not needing to cary all the fuel you need to return cuts down on the total fuel you need allowing you to ship a far bigger life support module. It's what allows a real science mission to Mars rather than a "flags and footprints" mission. Your analysis compares past moon missions with a similar profile for a Mars mission rather than what is actually currently envisioned. It is the ready availability of Martian resources and their ease of conversion to fuel that makes a far longer and more science capable Mars mission possible than was with Apollo WITH THE SAME LIFT CAPACITY.

Larry J has some interesting points about why a Moon mission should be done first. But the delta V issue when making use of resources available on Mars clealry favors much more robust missions to Mars than the Moon with the same lift capacity. No one could have spent 1.5 years in the lunar lander, but this is considered a reasonable scenario with the Mars Mission options currently on the table.

see ya

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