Propellant

Propellant depots, ISRU, in-situ food production, etc. sound good, but the people who control the budget money are lacking in technical sophistication and would just see it as "sci-fi fantasy."

NASA Faces Tough Choices & Needs an Administrator Now - NASA Watch 2009

This will spur the growth of private space jobs & would likely make the space big-boys @ ULA happy also ... re: Propellant Depot System

Looking Ahead to a Post-Shuttle Space Coast - NASA Watch 2009

Propellant depots, ISRU, in-situ food production, etc. sound good, but the people who control the budget money are lacking in technical sophistication and would just see it as "sci-fi fantasy."

NASA Faces Tough Choices & Needs an Administrator Now - NASA Watch 2009

I stand by my comments and facts, unbowed -- I believe that the only real things standing in the way of Constellation being a good plan is Ares 1 (not-needed with existing boosters, too expensive, etc), Ares V-- too big (scale it down or go to Shuttle B/C or Direct) and a lack of innovation (NASA should look at L-2, Propellant Depots, ISRU, more private industry involvement).

Astronaut Office Weighs In (Officially) On Ares/Orion/EELVs - NASA Watch 2008

Illustrated with the TitanIV-A20 Destruct of Comparable SRBs, Propellant Mass, and comparable MET of ~40 sec

NASA Watch: Keith Cowing: July 2009 Archives 2009

Mars Semi-Direct step 1 : Propellant production on Mars.

The Case for Mars Robert Zubrin 1996

Mars Sample Return with In-Situ Propellant Production MSR-ISPP plan, 43–44, 107, 146, 148–156

The Case for Mars Robert Zubrin 1996

Larry Clark left and the author perform initial checkout of the In-Situ Propellant Production plant developed by a team at Martin Marietta under contract to NASA Johnson Space Center.

The Case for Mars Robert Zubrin 1996

Larry Clark left and the author perform initial checkout of the In-Situ Propellant Production plant developed by a team at Martin Marietta under contract to NASA Johnson Space Center.

The Case for Mars Robert Zubrin 1996

This third plan is known as the Mars Sample Return with In-Situ Propellant Production, or MSR-ISPP.

The Case for Mars Robert Zubrin 1996