Working in space · in-situ resources
Make the propellant where you land.
Hauling fuel from Earth is the tax the whole chain pays. An autonomous plant mines regolith, splits out its oxygen, and fills a tank on the surface, throttling itself to the power the sun gives, so the depot refills without a launch.
O₂ produced
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Power
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Efficiency
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Tank
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Regolith · autonomous excavator
Solar array · power
Electrolysis plant (throttled to power)
Liquid-oxygen tank
array40 kW