/sci/ - Science & Math

>>12326571
>>12326556
>>12326587
Given the availability of larger rockets like Falcon Heavy, why not just send an ion drive probe with moar xenon?

I understand the space travel paradox where you need to burn more fuel to propel the unexpended fuel you're still carrying, but little Dawn was a 1200kg probe and "only" 450kg of that was its xenon fuel. It couldn't hurt to say, double or triple the fuel supply, could it? And since you're using a big payload rocket for a relatively tiny probe, put a little fourth conventional stage on it or something just to give it that extra oomph in the opening launch.