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Making Life Multiplanetary — SpaceX 2016 / Talks

Methane-oxygen as optimal selection

Explanation of why methane and oxygen selected as the propellant given Mars production feasibility and mission engineering constraints

Slide 21 of 61

  1. SpaceX — Making Life Multiplanetary 01
  2. Why should humanity expand beyond Earth? 02
  3. Interplanetary Transport System visual 03
  4. Why Mars is the logical target 04
  5. Planetary scale relative to the Sun 05
  6. Solar system planets and distances 06
  7. Earth versus Mars characteristics 07
  8. From early exploration to self-sustaining Mars city 08
  9. Cost barrier makes Mars inaccessible 09
  10. Traditional rockets cost $10 billion per person 10
  11. Achieving both want and affordability 11
  12. Achieving five million percent cost reduction 12
  13. Full rocket reusability architecture 13
  14. Three mechanisms enabling full reusability 14
  15. Full reusability required for city scale 15
  16. Commercial aircraft economics analogy 16
  17. In-orbit refueling critical solution 17
  18. Refueling approach vs. staged vehicles 18
  19. Producing propellant on Mars 19
  20. Propellant candidates and tradeoffs 20
  21. Methane-oxygen as optimal selection 21
  22. Propellant comparison performance table 22
  23. Full reusability with refueling and Mars production 23
  24. Earth and Mars transportation system 24
  25. Vehicle design and performance specs 25
  26. Spacecraft structural design details 26
  27. Launch vehicles by payload capacity 27
  28. Mars vehicle scale relative to Saturn V 28
  29. Mars vehicle technical specifications 29
  30. Raptor engine advanced propulsion 30
  31. Raptor engine performance specifications 31
  32. Interplanetary Spaceship crew vessel 32
  33. Spaceship capacity and dimensions 33
  34. Super Heavy booster stage system 34
  35. In-orbit refueling tanker operations 35
  36. First mission carries propellant plant 36
  37. Mars propellant synthesis chemistry 37
  38. Mars production facility deployment timeline 38
  39. Vehicle development heritage timeline 39
  40. Mars settlement growth and phases 40
  41. Base establishment and infrastructure 41
  42. Cargo and crewed mission configurations 42
  43. Mars city population and expansion 43
  44. Economic self-sufficiency and industry 44
  45. Raptor engine successful test fire 45
  46. Falcon Heavy vehicle development progress 46
  47. Rapid iteration and testing methodology 47
  48. Spacecraft manufacturing and production 48
  49. Cost reduction through manufacturing scale 49
  50. Development schedule and milestones 50
  51. Earth orbit validation phase 51
  52. Earth to Mars trajectory planning 52
  53. Mars landing and descent system 53
  54. Mars surface habitation infrastructure 54
  55. Spaceship pressure vessel engineering 55
  56. Distinctive technical capabilities summary 56
  57. Multiplanetary human civilization vision 57
  58. Interplanetary expansion beyond Mars 58
  59. Europa moon exploration concept 59
  60. Saturn system exploration vision 60
  61. Making life multiplanetary conclusion 61

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Curated by Muharrem Senyil

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