[malarski]

The real key to lunar mining, Taylor said, was to reduce the cost of sending a craft into space so that its operators could afford to have a vehicle which went up partially empty into space and came back partially empty.

I guess it is probably better than if it went up empty into space and came back empty.

[CommiesOut]

All you need is enough dumb investors. It can go on empty both ways min. 10 years.
If you have balls you tell them: "Empty = fuel savings"!
Then you move to Patagonia.