Forgive me if this has been discussed, but after reviewing the Mars Direct proposals, isn't a logical (soon) step the rapid development of a demonstrator robotic Mars sample return mission to see if it can be done by making fuel on the surface? Seems like a good idea to do that now before spending years inching back towards the moon, etc.
....isn't a logical (soon) step the rapid development of a demonstrator robotic Mars sample return mission to see if it can be done by making fuel on the surface?
Out of WHAT?
ALL 'fuel' is an ORGANIC compound except liquid HYDROGEN (as far as I know).
All fuel needs some kind of 'oxidizer' to burn: IE liquid OXYGEN.
Even if we found LAKES of this stuff on the surface (we won't) it takes POWER, of some type, to process ANYTHING to get it to a useable form.
Now the only type of power available on MARS is SOLAR (unless we haul a nuclear reactor up there)
This 'idea' does not appear to have been thought out to far.................