Critical time

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Lift costs 1/1000th current ones certainly sounds like a generous
assumption. But why should electromagnetic launch from the moon have any
basis for comparison with launch via chemical rocket? The MIT study
concluded lunar mass-drivers could lift lunar material for a cost of around
10 cents/kilogram. For Zubrin to successfully dispute this, he must identify
the calculation errors in these previous studies, and not merely throw out a
number of his own, no matter how generous-sounding.
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10c/Kg sounds much better. Its a shame, in many ways, that space scientists
like Zubrin have to hold such petty prejudices. Everyone involved and/or
interested in human space projects has the same dream: the formation of a space
faring civilisation. One way or another, people are going to colonise Mars.
Although the first human missions to Mars, would take place sooner under Zubrins
plan, the actual, true colonisation of Mars would take place more quickly under
the O'neill plan. So why would the Mars society insist on hobbling itself, by
drawing funds away from O'neill concepts? With abundant and cheap lunar
materials, available in high earth orbit, entire fleets of ion-driven Mars bound
ships, could be constructed. So the choice is, we put humans on Mars now, or we
can postpone it for a few years in exchange for a much more desirable approach.