Re:SpaceX successfully launches two humans into orbit
by yellowapple on Tuesday June 02, 2020 @03:41PM
(#23395387)
> It gets really interesting once you express it in Delta V.
I mean, it does depend on how much time you're willing to spend. Yeah, the dV required to move from one asteroid to another is pretty tiny, but typical orbit phasing maneuvers like that typically take a long time to execute, especially in the scale of the asteroid belt (you gotta orbit all the way around the Sun).
That said, I feel like (but haven't validated mathematically or in e.g. KSP, or found real-life examples) it should be possible to do small phase shifts with radial burns (e.g. inward then outward to "catch up", or outward then inward to let the target do so) without requiring much of a time expenditure, though this would probably entail more fuel.
It gets more interesting yet when you take into account things like linear accelerators which can launch things for pennies. They're not practical on earth, but somewhat practical on the moon. They might also be usable enough for asteroids.
I agree that the initial investment in the first space or moon settlement would be very, very expensive. On the other hand, once it is established it would be self sustaining, and even potentially competitive with earth.
Early on it could maintain itself by launching satellites to GEO and LEO. This is already a viable industry today.
It would also be much MUCH cheaper to source construction materials for further settlements from asteroids (or the moon, at a pinch)
https://www.reddit.com/r/space/comments/29cxi6/i_made_a_delt...