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A round trip to mars could require upwards of 10 years of food, fuel and water. A round trip to the moon requires 8 days of food, fuel and water. I think its

• valuearb 6y ago
  First, Mars round trips typically take 2 years, not ten. Flying to Mars can be done in under two months. Secondly, a fully fueled SpaceX starship in low earth orbit will likely land 100-150 tons on Mars. It won’t be able to land any payload on the moon. Lastly, you don’t need to take fuel for the return trip to a Mars. It’s easy to make there. Fuel will be virtually impossible to make on the moon for decades, requiring every drop to be shipped from Earth. Because of the tyranny of the rocket equation, that requires a massive amount of fuel to land a much smaller amount of fuel on the moon to be able to fly back a tiny payload to Earth. The cost of food, water and fuel on the moon is probably 10x that on Mars. The moon is also a desert, full of razor sharp dust and nearly devoid of resources, as well as commercial and scientific value.
  • IXxXI 6y ago
    Probes travel to mars faster. They have lower mass to fuel ratios. A manned flight with water shielding for radiation. Rotating crew quarters to generate artificial gravity. And other amenities necessary to support human life, will have far higher mass than a probe. It translates to travel time taking longer due to fuel consumption and storage being more limited.