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Scientific workbench

Rocket comparison

What does carrying propellant cost?

Rocket comparison

What does carrying propellant cost?

The ideal rocket equation gives a conventional baseline. A propellant-free mechanism has different infrastructure costs.

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m₀ / mf = exp[Δv / (g₀ Isp)]
Illustrative model · not measured data · not to scale

Uses standard gravity g₀ = 9.80665 m/s². This calculation does not compare total mission mass: beams, power sources, sail structures and control systems also require accounting.

Research basis: Les Johnson / NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, 2009.

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