Delivery

Project: Helios Prime Document: Space Transportation Logistics

TL;DR

  • Total imports: ~2,480 t over ~11 years (Moon 80 t + Mercury ~2,400 t)
  • Localization: 99.998% of mass produced locally (mirrors, MDs, factories, robots)
  • Launch vehicles: Starship (USA), Long March 9 (China), Yenisei (Russia)
  • Launch rate: ~15-30 launches/year at peak (1 spaceport sufficient)
  • Delivery cost: $8-15 billion (instead of $80+ billion without localization)

Helios Project Requirements

Phase 1: Moon (Years 4-6)

Category Mass Purpose
Factory (modules) 35-50 t Robot and LSP station production
Gen-1 Robots 5-10 t 50-100 units
Solar concentrators 3-5 t Factory power
Consumables (“Vitamins”) 5-10 t Electronics, optics for 2 years
Reserve 10-15 t Backup, redundancy
Total 60-100 t

Delivery options:

Scenario Launch vehicles Launches Cost
Optimistic Super-heavy lift vehicles 3-5 $0.5-1 billion
Baseline International fleet 8-12 $2-4 billion
Conservative Current launch vehicles 15-25 $6-10 billion

Phase 2: Mercury (Years 6-15)

Expedition Year Cargo Objective
E1 6 150 t 2 factories + 2 Mass Drivers
E2 6.5 65 t Reinforcement: +3 factories (electronics)
Regular 7-15 ~2,185 t 1645 factories + 1000 MDs (electronics only)

Trajectory to Mercury:

Type Delta-v Duration Cargo*
Hohmann 12.5 km/s 3-4 months 50-70 t
With gravity assists (Venus) 8-10 km/s 6-12 months 80-100 t

*Average cargo per spacecraft. Specific launch vehicle depends on international fleet.

Launch rates:

Year Factories Cargo Launches
7 25 91 t 2-4
8 120 214 t 4-9
9 500 519 t 10-21
10 1000 728 t 15-29
11-15 — 633 t 13-25
Total (regular) ~2,185 t ~44-88

Peak: 15-30 launches/year = 1-2 launches/month globally.

Note: - Regular deliveries (years 7-15): ~2,185 t - Expeditions 1-2 (years 6-6.5): 215 t - Total to Mercury: ~2,400 t - Total launches (including expeditions and reserve): ~50-100

Delivery Cost

Scenario $/kg to Mercury ~2,400 t Assumptions
Optimistic $1,500 $3.5 billion Fully reusable vehicles
Baseline $2,500 $6 billion International fleet
Conservative $5,000 $12 billion Current technology

Detailed calculations: Budget | Roadmap

Logistics Chain

flowchart LR
    subgraph "Phase 2 (Years 6-15): Mercury"
        E2[Earth] -->|"Rockets<br>~2,400 t"| M[Mercury]
        M -->|"MD 5 km/s"| R[Dyson Swarm]
    end

    subgraph "Phase 1 (Years 4-6): Moon"
        E1[Earth] -->|"Rockets<br>60-100 t"| L[Moon]
        L -->|"Local resources"| LSP[LSP Stations]
    end

Route Purpose Cargo Mechanism
Earth to Moon Testbed, LSP factories 60-100 t Super-heavy lift vehicles
Earth to Mercury Factory and MD electronics ~2,400 t Super-heavy lift vehicles
Mercury to orbit Swarm Mirrors ~10^14 t Mercury Mass Driver

Moon: LSP station production from local resources (regolith to aluminum, silicon). Only “Vitamins” delivered from Earth — electronics, optics, rare materials. Production details: Ground Zero Factory.

Vitamins: Critical Imports

Vitamins are materials that cannot or should not be produced on Mercury.

Permanent Imports (~85 kg/factory/year)

Category Material Mass Purpose
Electronics Chipsets (GaAs, CMOS) ~72 kg 180 robots × 2 chips × 0.2 kg
Metals Iridium (Ir) ~4 kg MRE anodes (replacement)
Gases Nitrogen (N₂) ~3 kg Si₃N₄ ceramics (cutters + wire dies)
Lubricants MoS₂ (molybdenum disulfide) ~6 kg 60 robots × 0.1 kg/month (dry lubricant, vacuum)
TOTAL ~85 kg

Note on 180 robots:

  • 180 robots/year = bootstrap rate (15/month). At full factory capacity (5/day = 1,825/year), most production goes to mirrors.
  • At steady state, most factories are F-M (mirror factories), not F-R (replicators).
  • 180 robots/year includes replacement of worn robots (~60 robots per complex).

Service life uncertainty: Mercury conditions are extreme (vacuum, -180°C in shadow, +430°C in sunlight). Conservative robot service life estimate: 1-3 years.

One-time import per factory:

  • PFPE oil (vacuum lubricant): ~24 kg/factory (60 robots × 0.4 kg, recirculation in closed crankcases — no losses)

Super-Heavy Launch Vehicles

The project requires launch vehicles with >50 t payload to LEO. By the active phase (2030s), several countries will have such vehicles.

Vehicle Country LEO Mercury* Status Reusability Source
Starship Block 3 USA 200 t ~70 t 2026 Full Wikipedia
Long March 9 China 150 t ~50 t 2033 Full Wikipedia
SLS Block 2 USA 130 t ~40 t ~2030 No Wikipedia
Yenisei Russia 100 t ~30 t 2033+ No Wikipedia
New Glenn 9x4 USA 70 t ~25 t 2027 Partial Wikipedia
Falcon Heavy USA 64 t ~20 t Operational Partial Wikipedia
Don Russia 150 t ~50 t 2035+ No Wikipedia
Angara-A5V Russia 38 t ~12 t 2030 No Wikipedia

*Payload to Mercury trajectory ~30-35% of LEO (Delta-v ~12.5 km/s).

Economies of scale: Doubling payload capacity reduces cost per kilogram by ~1.5-2x. For ~2,400 t cargo to Mercury, this is the difference between $6 billion and $12 billion.

WarningGeopolitical Factor

Long March 9, Yenisei, and Don are unavailable for Western missions due to sanctions and export controls. Project Helios requires international partnership or reliance on available vehicles.

Solar Acceleration

After Dyson Swarm deployment, orbital refueling becomes unnecessary. The Swarm can direct concentrated solar energy to spacecraft, providing acceleration without propellant.

Technologies

Technology Principle Delta-v Status Source
Solar Thermal Propulsion Sunlight heats hydrogen for high Isp 6+ km/s Portal Space — test 2025, flight 2026 NASA STP
Beam-Powered Propulsion Laser/microwave heats propellant 14+ km/s NASA concept NSS
Solar sails (USA) Light pressure on reflective surface No propellant Breakthrough Starshot Wikipedia
Solar sails (Russia) Light pressure + trajectories to icy moons No propellant Samara University — research 2024, Acta Astronautica publication RG
Solar sails (China) Flexible membrane deployment in orbit No propellant SIASAIL-I — orbital demo 2019 (0.78x0.78 m) CAS, ScienceDirect

Historical context: Russia deployed the first orbital solar sail “Znamya-2” (1993, 20m diameter) from spacecraft “Progress M-10”. China is working on graphene sails for deep space.

Advantages for Helios

With a Swarm of ~1.1 billion mirrors (~102 PW solar power):

  1. Solar Thermal: Mirrors focus light on spacecraft heat exchanger to heat working fluid to 10,000 K, achieving Isp higher than chemical engines
  2. Beam Power: Portion of mirrors directs light to spacecraft receiver — no need to carry propellant from Earth
  3. Sails: For light cargo (“Vitamins”, electronics) — acceleration via light pressure
NoteSynergy with Main Project

The same mirrors that transmit energy to Earth can be used to accelerate cargo. This makes delivery to and from Mercury significantly cheaper after Swarm deployment.

Spaceport Infrastructure

80-165 launches/year requires 2-3 active spaceports.

Spaceport Country Coordinates Vehicles Capacity
Starbase (Boca Chica) USA 26 deg N Starship 50-100 launches/year (planned)
Kennedy LC-39A USA 28 deg N Starship, Falcon 20-30 launches/year
Cape Canaveral SLC-37 USA 28 deg N New Glenn, Atlas, Vulcan 20-30 launches/year
Wenchang China 19 deg N Long March 5, 7, 9 20-30 launches/year
Jiuquan China 41 deg N Long March 2, 4, 11 15-20 launches/year
Xichang China 28 deg N Long March 3 10-15 launches/year
Baikonur Kazakhstan 46 deg N Soyuz, Proton 15-20 launches/year
Vostochny Russia 51 deg N Angara, Soyuz-2 10-15 launches/year
Plesetsk Russia 63 deg N Angara, Soyuz 10-15 launches/year
NoteInfrastructure

At peak 165 launches/year, 2-3 spaceports are sufficient. Starbase (planned 100 launches/year) + 1-2 additional sites will provide the necessary capacity.

Lunar Programs

Project Helios synchronizes with global lunar programs. Their infrastructure (landers, ISRU technologies) reduces costs and risks.

Program Country Key Missions Timeline Source
Artemis USA Artemis II (flyby), III (landing), Gateway 2026-2031 NASA
Chang’e China Chang’e 6 (far side sample return), Chang’e 7 (south pole), Chang’e 8 (ISRU) 2024-2028 Wikipedia
Luna Russia Luna-25 (failure 2023), Luna-26 (orbiter), Luna-27/28 (lander) 2027-2030+ Wikipedia
ILRS China+Russia+8 countries International lunar station, nuclear power plant 2033-2035 Wikipedia
Crewed China Taikonaut landing on Moon ~2030 Wikipedia
Chandrayaan India Chandrayaan-4 (sample return) 2028 ISRO
LUPEX Japan+India Water prospecting rover 2028+ JAXA 

gantt
    title Lunar Programs 2026-2035
    dateFormat YYYY
    axisFormat %Y

    section USA
    Artemis II          :2026, 1y
    Artemis III         :2027, 1y
    Gateway             :2026, 5y

    section China
    Chang'e 6           :done, 2024, 1y
    Chang'e 7           :2026, 1y
    Chang'e 8           :2028, 1y
    Crewed              :2029, 2y
    ILRS basic          :2033, 3y

    section Russia
    Luna-26             :2027, 1y
    Luna-27/28          :2028, 3y

    section India
    Chandrayaan-4       :2028, 1y

    section Helios
    Lunar testbed       :2028, 3y
    LSP stations        :2031, 5y

Synergy with Helios

flowchart LR
    subgraph "Artemis / ILRS / Luna"
        A1[Starship HLS] --> A2[Landing experience]
        A3[Chang'e 8 ISRU] --> A4[Resource extraction]
        A5[Luna-27] --> A6[Regolith drilling]
    end

    subgraph "Helios"
        A2 --> H1[Lunar testbed]
        A4 --> H2[LSP production]
        A6 --> H2
    end

    H1 --> OUT[Technology validation]
    H2 --> OUT

Element Global programs Helios
Starship HLS Lunar lander Adaptation for cargo missions
Chang’e 8 ISRU Oxygen extraction from regolith Scaling for production
Luna-27 drilling Subsurface ice exploration Extraction technology

Risks and Constraints

Critical Risks

Risk Problem Mitigation
Launch vehicle delays Starship Block 3, Long March 9 Reliance on multiple vehicles
Spaceport capacity 165 launches/year at peak 2-3 spaceports (Starbase + backup)
Geopolitics Sanctions limit cooperation Parallel USA/China/Russia programs
Solar thermal propulsion Early-stage technology Portal Space testing (2025-2026). Alternative: solar sails (Samara University, SIASAIL-I)

Requires Research

  • Mission insurance to Mercury (high risk, long flight)
  • Interface standardization between vehicles from different countries
  • Upper stage disposal (space debris)

Project Import Summary

Import Matrix by Location

MOON

Category Initial TOTAL
Factories 40 t 40 t
Robots Gen-1 10 t 10 t
Infrastructure 30 t 30 t
TOTAL MOON 80 t 80 t

Initial = Year 4, initial launch to Moon

Infrastructure = concentrators 5 t + vitamins 10 t + reserve 15 t

MERCURY

Category Initial Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10 Year 11-15 TOTAL
Factories (boards) 215 t 1 t 5 t 21 t 63 t 305 t
Mass Drivers (boards) 3 t 19 t 88 t 165 t 275 t
Mirrors 85 t 180 t 370 t 420 t 1,055 t
Robots (vitamins) 2 t 10 t 40 t 80 t 633 t 765 t
TOTAL MERCURY 215 t 91 t 214 t 519 t 728 t 633 t ~2,400 t

Initial = Years 6-6.5, expeditions E1+E2 — 2 factories + 2 MDs (E1) + 3 factories electronics (E2), full import before localization

SUMMARY TABLE

Location Initial Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10 Year 11-15 TOTAL
MOON 80 t 80 t
MERCURY 215 t 91 t 214 t 519 t 728 t 633 t ~2,400 t
TOTAL 295 t 91 t 214 t 519 t 728 t 633 t ~2,480 t

Equivalent: ~50 Starship launches (50 t/launch)

Detailed Breakdown by Category

1. Factories (~305 t)

Component Initial Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10 Total
E1+E2 bootstrap (2 factories + 2 MDs + 3 factories) 215 t 215 t
MNLZ automation boards 0.6 t 2.9 t 11 t 35 t 50 t
Control unit boards 0.4 t 2.1 t 10 t 28 t 40 t
Total factories 215 t 1 t 5 t 21 t 63 t 305 t
  • Initial (E1+E2 bootstrap): full import of 2 factories + 2 MDs (E1) + 3 factories electronics (E2) before localization
  • Regular: electronics boards only (~55 kg/factory), housings — local production
  • Al₂O₃ bearings — 100% local (ceramic from regolith)
  • 99.9% of equipment mass — local production

2. Mass Drivers (~275 t)

Component Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10 Total
Controller boards 0.7 t 4 t 18 t 33 t 55 t
MOSFET chips 2 t 10 t 48 t 90 t 150 t
Sensors 0.2 t 1.4 t 6 t 12 t 20 t
Cables 0.6 t 3.4 t 16 t 30 t 50 t
Total MDs 3 t 19 t 88 t 165 t 275 t
  • 1,000 MDs × 275 kg electronics = 275 t (boards and chips only)
  • NaS capacitors — 100% local (Na + S + Al₂O₃ from regolith)
  • Heatsinks and housings — local Al
  • Remaining ~500 t/MD — local production

3. Mirrors (~1,055 t)

Component Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10 Total
Mother chips 5 t 10 t 20 t 20 t 55 t
Child decoders 80 t 170 t 350 t 400 t 1,000 t
Total mirrors 85 t 180 t 370 t 420 t 1,055 t

4. Robots (~775 t)

Component Initial Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10 Year 11-15 Total
Gen-1 (Moon) 10 t 10 t
Vitamins (chipsets) 2 t 10 t 40 t 80 t 633 t 765 t
Total robots 10 t 2 t 10 t 40 t 80 t 633 t 775 t
  • Initial: Gen-1 robots for Moon factory (full import)
  • Regular: vitamins — chipsets (72 kg), iridium (4 kg), nitrogen (3 kg), MoS₂ (6 kg) = ~85 kg/factory/year
  • Years 11-15: 1,645 factories × 85 kg × 5 years = 700 t

5. Moon Infrastructure (~30 t)

Component Initial Total
Solar concentrators 5 t 5 t
Moon vitamins (2 years) 10 t 10 t
Reserve 15 t 15 t
Total infrastructure 30 t 30 t