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Cake day: July 19th, 2023

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  • I’m often reminded of a SpaceX render they put up on the 'Tube back when they were still working out the reusability thing. Commenters had a lot of questions about how the particular flight plan impacted on their fuel budget. And so, Elon himself waded in with the answers. Except he was talking about the dollar price it cost to buy the fuel. He was like ‘why are you worried about fuel, it’s not that expensive, guys’ because he didn’t understand the questions. He didn’t understand why the amount of fuel and the mass of the fuel would be significant to anybody. Guys, I think he doesn’t understand the rocket equation. He doesn’t understand the central problem of rocketry. I think the guy might be full of it.













  • -I cannot allow you before Théoden-King so armed, Gandalf Greyhame. By order of Gríma Wormtongue. Your staff.

    -Hmm? Oh. You would not part an old man from his walking stick?

    -It is not by my choosing. Your staff I judge to be five feet, yet no object greater than four feet in length may be brought before the King.

    -Then I must speak with the town carpenter.

    Later that day, Gandalf brings his staff to the meeting with Théoden. He has not broken any rules, and the staff is unaltered. How did he manage it?



  • Most of the weight is fuel/propellant, which is why most Mars mission plans have you manufacture propellant on-site. An empty fuel tank and some engines isn’t that heavy. Especially if, as you say, you’re able to reuse your lander. Anyway, everything you bring has weight. The issue is, how much and can you budget for it?

    If your looking for somewhere to save weight, imo start by getting rid of the astronauts and all their associated life support and living space. Bonus - robots don’t even need frivolous luxuries like getting to return home.