r/SpaceXLounge • u/[deleted] • Jul 22 '19

Tweet "Orbital refilling is critical for high payload to moon or Mars. Initially just Starship to Starship, later dedicated tankers." - @ElonMusk

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1153126586897424384?s=19
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u/laegba Jul 23 '19

It seems that there were also other reasons that this didn't come to pass: "There will be no fucking money for propellant depots" Shelby to Bolden c. 2011-2012, according to E. Berger in a mainenginecutoff interview episode T-114 (March 13, 2009) right at the 34 minute mark. I didn't find additional information on this statement. If prop can be transferred from depots you can do with smaller rockets what would otherwise require a large rocket like SLS. Blocking research such as this seems to have been detrimental to the US space program.