Re:Making Humans a Multiplanetary Species [video]
by ygra on Tuesday September 27, 2016 @04:36PM
(#12592931)
Elon actually addressed this, you only need the booster from Earth. For all interesting targets the spacecraft can launch by itself and get back to Earth.
The point of the booster for Earth is both to get out of Earth's gravity well and through its atmosphere (both of which are far less of a problem on Mars).
Re:Making Humans a Multiplanetary Species [video]
by ncallaway on Tuesday September 27, 2016 @06:33PM
(#12593780)
What if that gravity well has the resources you need to get out of it?
The moon also has a small gravity well, but no real resources to help you escape it. Mars has a bit of a gravity well, but has many more resources to help you escape that gravity well.
I see this as a disadvantage; the major difficulty of space exploration is getting out of the Earth's gravity well. I don't think it's wise to fall back into another one.