Abstract If Mars-bound vehicles could be fueled in LEO with H2 and O2 from the Moon, the required mass of Mars-bound vehicles to be delivered from Earth to LEO would be reduced to about 40% of the required mass if propellants were brought up from Earth. For example, a Mars-bound vehicle that weighs say, 250 metric tons in LEO when propellants are brought from Earth, if fueled by hydrogen and oxygen from the Moon would have a mass of only about 100 metric tons. This would have a huge impact on the feasibility of launching large Mars-bound vehicles.
Refueling Spacecraft in LEO Using Propellants Derived from the Moon or Asteroids
2nd ed. 2018
2018-01-01
14 pages
Aufsatz/Kapitel (Buch)
Elektronische Ressource
Englisch
Engineering Index Backfile | 1964
|Refueling with In-Situ Produced Propellants
NTRS | 2014
|Technologies for Refueling Spacecraft On-Orbit
NTRS | 2000
|Technologies for refueling spacecraft on-orbit
AIAA | 2000
|