Quote:
Originally Posted by red-beard
The "ZON" approach is the correct way. Smaller rockets, lift to orbit, assemble in orbit (these things can connect themselves with human help only for problems). Fueling done the same way.
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Taking that concept a step further - the moon could be used as a staging area for missions to Mars. It costs nothing to keep things like jet fuel cool there. (Maybe too cool?). Delevop a station there - and at 1/6tht the gravity, it would require less energy to get a spaceship off the surface and heading towards Mars.
So essentially, the moon would house the 'outer' space station. Astronauts would take a Space Shuttle to our space stations that are in lower orbit - then take another smaller vehicle to the moon, where their Mars explorer/space vehicle would launch them to Mars and beyond.
Yes, as a kid, I was mezmerized by the space program - I had a National Geographic poster of all the astronauts and their missions hanging in my room for years and years... Neil Armstrong was my hero!
-Z-man.