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Orbiting Gas Station Could Refuel Lunar Missions

Posted July 31, 2009 8:47 AM

From New Scientist - Online News:

Forget huge, expensive rockets. A plan being examined by a US government panel would allow smaller, cheaper rockets to fly to the moon and beyond by stopping off at an "orbiting gas station". With conventional rockets, many tonnes of fuel are needed on such missions for each tonne of payload. Sending astronauts or the heftiest robotic probes to these distant destinations therefore requires huge launchers.

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agua_doc
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Re: Orbiting Gas Station Could Refuel Lunar Missions

08/01/2009 10:07 AM

Sounds like a good idea. I am wondering whether perhaps we could ferry large quantities of water to a space gas station and either use solar power arrays or another power source to provide electricity to separate the water into H2 and O2 for use as propulsion for these rockets. Excess O2 could be used around the gas station.

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PWSlack
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#2

Re: Orbiting Gas Station Could Refuel Lunar Missions

08/03/2009 7:12 AM

Oh, good. That would counter rising sea levels.

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