Economics (was Critical time)

In a message dated 4/9/01 11:37:56 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
jdw27_42@... writes:

<< For the Moon specifically, since no suitable propellant is found on
the moon, a propellantless techology (i.e., mass drivers or thethers)
will eventually be most successful, if mass launched increases
continually. But we don't have that assurance that launches from the
Moon will increase.
>>

Oxygen makes a suitable propellant, all you need is a suitable energy source
such as nuclear energy to heat the oxygen and you could have a nuclear
powered oxygen rocket to propell a surface to orbit lunar shuttle. Also what
propellent does the Shuttle Solid Rocket boosters use? Isn't it aluminum
powder and oxygen or something like that? Couldn't these materials be found
on the Moon?

Tom Kalbfus