What feature of the Starship system is described as the mathematical key to dramatically lowering the cost threshold for Mars access?
Answer
An extremely high launch rate coupled with full reusability.
The shift in approach necessary for large-scale settlement hinges on economics, which is directly addressed by the Starship design. Previous Mars transit concepts relied on expendable or partially reusable rockets, resulting in costs per person that were too high for mass migration. Musk identified that achieving an extremely high rate of launches, combined with the critical element of full reusability for the vehicle, provides the necessary mathematical pathway to drastically reduce the cost required to transport the vast amount of mass needed to establish a colony on Mars.
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