Jumping the Gun.

--- In spacesettlers@yahoogroups.com, "ANTIcarrot"
wrote:

> PS: Near as I can tell, Mars could be done for roughly $5B with
something like the shuttle-C.

For a three-SSME version of shuttle C that's 77000 kg to 400 km
orbit. That's purely cargo, you'd have to find another way to get
your astronauts to orbit. That is not a lot of mass, particularly
when most of that will be fuel and radiation sheilding (of course,
one can double for the other). Not a lot of mass left over for life
support for the trip or for the base to be established on Mars.

Ed