I think the purpose is to provide a non-SLS plan that can be used to answer the "monster rockets are the only way!" arguments that so many people continue to make. There still isn't a good one out there. While I too don't really feel the need for another master plan to Mars, at least it might aid in putting to rest the insistence that a big expensive rocket is a precondition for going beyond LEO.
Quote from: QuantumG on 06/15/2015 03:31 amWhile I too don't really feel the need for another master plan to Mars, at least it might aid in putting to rest the insistence that a big expensive rocket is a precondition for going beyond LEO.Or maybe show that [it] is.
While I too don't really feel the need for another master plan to Mars, at least it might aid in putting to rest the insistence that a big expensive rocket is a precondition for going beyond LEO.
Or maybe show the true costs of doing it another way. If Simberg is honest with himself (and I choose to believe that's in his nature), he might need to do this kind of study to convince himself that "distributed launch" (or whatever buzzword we end up calling it) has inherent limitations. That would be an amazing outcome, for sure!
Can't believe anyone backed this nonsense. SLS is not the "Roadblock to Mars".