and parachutes) is about 660 m/s. Aerobrakes (made out of layers of dimpled nickel sheets) and fuel would be produced on Deimos. Parachutes must be sent from Earth. At first teleoperated lander/rovers (which cannot be operated from Earth because of the time lag) could be launched. They would be sent to Deimos on the supply ships. (Another source of income for the colony: exploring Mars for various universities and institutions). Eventually, using fuel and propellant from the cargo ships, the supply ships could become much larger. Sample-return landers and manned landers could be sent. With the Deimos colony as a base of operations, the large-scale manned exploration of Mars could begin. Once a base of operations on Mars is established, and local resources are used for propellant manufacture, then Martian resources, if they turn out to be worth exploiting, could enter the pipeline to LEO. If the colonists were in a hurry, one-way landers could be constructed fairly easily. An empty fuel tank, ablative aerobrake, parachute, and a braking rocket/guidance package could be combined to get people/supplies to the surface. Experience obtained through the unmanned landers would be very helpful. Done this way, the Martian colony would be established with the same method and philosophy used on Deimos. Going Home Although the people sent are not planning on returning, it is easy to imagine circumstances where it might become necessary (colony goes bankrupt, resources are not as accessible as planned, etc). Also, eventually the colony would profit by the presence of tourists, visiting scientists, etc. Thus, a means of returning people to Earth must be found. The emergency method of going home would be as follows: dig up the crew and cargo modules, make fuel/propellant, re-attach and fill the tanks, attach whatever engines are available (at least two will always be kept on hand) and head home. Upon arrival at Earth, a burn applied at perigee would place the ship in HEEO (another small burn at apogee would be used to raise the perigee out of the inner Van Allen belt), where the crew would await rescue by an OTV. For tourists, however, perhaps one or two of the colony ships would be dedicated to the transport of people to Deimos and back. The chances are, however, that this will be unnecessary. Given the amount of accessible resources in LEO by then, other entrepreneurs would probably be happy to start a transport service. Results It becomes clear that the only thing preventing the human race from expanding into the Solar System is money. If the cost of reaching LEO can be brought down sufficiently, then people can begin to learn what Robert Heinlein meant when he said, ‘Once you're in orbit, you're half-way to anywhere'. Conclusion One scenario for establishing a colony on Deimos to exploit it economically and foster
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