§ 3 Transportation -- of Earth, Lunar and Asteroidal Materials

Docking in lunar orbit, 1969, Apollo 11 lunar lander as photographed from lunar orbiter

Table of Contents:

§ 3.1 Brief overview of transportation

§ 3.2 Theoretical transportation energy requirements

§ 3.2.1 Moving around in the Earth-Moon system
§ 3.2.2 Asteroid retrieval

§ 3.2.2.1 Lunar gravity assists for asteroids
§ 3.2.2.2 Specific asteroid missions

§ 3.2.3 The L1, L2, L4 and L5 "Libration" points

§ 3.3 Near-term vehicles

§ 3.3.1 Chemical rockets

§ 3.3.1.1 Introduction to chemical rocket transportation
§ 3.3.1.2 Asteroidal fuels
§ 3.3.1.3 Lunar fuels
§ 3.3.1.4 Launching the first missions with present day Earth rockets

§ 3.3.2 Steam rockets and asteroids
§ 3.3.3 Electric Propulsion for Inter-Orbital Vehicles
§ 3.3.4 Using Cold-War nuclear missiles to launch peaceful payloads instead
§ 3.3.5 Earth launch by present and emerging launch vehicles

§ 3.4 Mid-term vehicles

§ 3.4.1 Interorbital aerobraking
§ 3.4.2 Interorbital light sails

§ 3.5 Far future vehicles (this section is lowest priority)

§ 3.5.1 Lunar launch mass driver electric "catapult"
§ 3.5.2 All others

§ 3.6 Miscellaneous technical issues

§ 3.6.1 Storability of chemical rocketry propellants