What is the primary advantage of lunar ISRU regarding propellant for deep space missions?
Answer
It allows missions to refuel ascent vehicles on the Moon, drastically reducing required launch mass from Earth.
By converting water ice into hydrogen and oxygen propellants, missions heading to Mars or beyond can refuel at a lunar base, bypassing the need to launch expensive propellant out of Earth's deep gravity well.
#Videos
Why South Pole of Moon important | Chandrayaan 3 landing
Related Questions
Why is the region around the Moon’s South Pole the primary target for sustained human presence?What specific lunar feature concentrates and preserves water ice in the South Polar Region?What is the approximate temperature range found in the permanently shadowed regions (PSRs)?What is the primary advantage of lunar ISRU regarding propellant for deep space missions?If water ice is broken down through electrolysis, what is oxygen primarily used for?What unique scientific record is preserved in the undisturbed lunar ice deposits?What characteristic of lunar PSR ice contributes to its resource stability compared to terrestrial ice?What engineering hurdle complicates initial robotic investigation within the PSRs?How is the task of landing near the lunar poles made more difficult than equatorial landings?What concept illustrates the economic shift the Moon represents due to local resource utilization?