tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987241699123718287.post3278141875391788600..comments2023-10-23T12:57:43.485-07:00Comments on Planet Plots: The Mars advantageken_anthonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07612961297952294600noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987241699123718287.post-40393870233365950762016-06-06T06:17:39.577-07:002016-06-06T06:17:39.577-07:00Good question with a simple answer. You go down th...Good question with a simple answer. You go down the gravity well because you only have to do it once. That's called a one time cost. The smallest delta V is to a Lagrange point which is 1 km/s from LEO. delta V goes up from there (quite a bit in most cases) and is a reoccurring cost. This is very basic economics. You will not have to move material from one side of mars to the other. Mars has gone through a very similar geological evolution as earth. The very air and dust will be mined (they don't have to go a foot to get it.) Most other minerals will be within a few kilometers of any location on mars. In the worst case they will mine low grade ore that is closer than high grade ore they may find farther away. We know this because random landers have found minerals where ever we've put them.<br /><br />The bottom line is, as much as I'd like to see space developed, the reality is it will take magnitudes longer to get the infrastructure in space than on mars.<br /><br />Your point about smaller ships first is very astute of you. Frankly I've come to not expect reason from some of those that just wish to throw drive by insults. So I thank you for that. The rocket equation is not nullified by wishing it away. This has a huge impact on growth that seems to be ignored by the anti gravity well folks.<br /><br />Whatever you wish and hope for I wish you well. Soon I won't have to make this argument because actual growth will make the argument for me. I'm willing to wait and watch.ken_anthonyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07612961297952294600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987241699123718287.post-85329479461085264422016-06-05T18:34:43.113-07:002016-06-05T18:34:43.113-07:00The ISS is a poor example to use. 12 asteroid mini...The ISS is a poor example to use. 12 asteroid mining is in gear the delta-v for asteroid material will be much smaller then trying to move something from one side of Mars to the other. Kilometer size O'Neill colonies will not be the first things built. Smaller ships could be constructed by small groups wishing to leave a larger corporate situation.<br />If you look at land values on the Earth the most valuable and is always that next to the ocean. That is because Transportation costs are so much lower. Once you're in space why would you climb down to the bottom of a gravity well?Russell Snowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10953469302939954293noreply@blogger.com