this post was submitted on 07 Dec 2025
960 points (99.1% liked)
Political Memes
2034 readers
404 users here now
Non political memes: !memes@sopuli.xyz
founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
As I understand it, There's no way with current technology for a trip to Mars to be a round trip thing really. It's a one and done.
Mars colonization was intended for the first settlers to settle. Not return.
Technically we totally could, if you can ship 1 kilogram to mars you can ship a spaceship to mars capable of getting back with enough un-manned trips in advance. Economically feasable however it is not.
it's even really difficult technically, because you have to keep the propellant cool on the surface of mars while you stay there, which is really difficult. in outer space, it's possible because there's only sunlight as a heat source, and if you create a shadow, then it's chilly as fuck, but on the planet surface, winds will carry heat to the fuel deposit and eventually warm it up, and cooling that amount of propellant is expensive (energy-wise) as fuck.
Ferry stage in orbit and solid fuel first stage? Could probably get away with it in martian gravity.