/sci/ - Science & Math

>>14858640
Improving the mass ratio and adding more staging only gets you so far. Ultimately the only way to get relatively high delta-v with chemical propulsion is through brute force via refueling and that borders on absurdity. Take for instance SpaceX 'plans' for Jovian exploration, read marketing material, which would probably require hundreds of launches for a single landing, refueling in LEO and then twice at Jupiter. It's not realistic to return the interplanetary tankers as they'd need to be full to come back, with aerobraking, which at that speed would be very spicy.