XCOR’s Greason: We Need Gas Stations in Space

NewScientist has an interesting interview with XCOR CEO Jeff Greason, who also served on the Augustine Commission. An excerpt:

Which cutting-edge technologies should NASA develop first?

The very first element would be a technology for the handling and storage of propellant in space. If we had such a “gas station” it would significantly change the game in terms of what you could do: it would let you launch a much more capable, bigger mission with the same-size launchers. If you use chemical rockets, you want to be able to manufacture that propellant at your destination. That saves a huge chunk of initial mass because you don’t have to take the propellant with you to get you back to Earth. Then there’s a whole bunch of ideas for advanced space propulsion. An ion engine called VASIMR is a perfect example.

Read the full interview.