CADMUS - a robotic Mars factory returning supplies to Earth orbit

Human activities in space are held back by the high cost and limited capacity of Earth based launch. Space tourism and manufacturing, lunar bases, and Mars colonies need massive amounts of supplies, costing too much for governments and investors. CADMUS (Cargo Autonomous Delivered from Mars to Upper-Earth-Space), would provide very large amounts of materials in high Earth orbit al low cost, including propellants for human exploration of the solar system, to lunar bases, and Mars colonies: air, water, and food for life support; plastics for construction of space and surface habitats; and fuels for energy. Virtually all of the supplies for human activities in space would come from Mars, rather than from Earth, produced by compact lightweight robotic factory units landed on the North Polar Cap. After completing production, the supplies would be launched to high Earth orbit, using the smaller /spl Delta/V requirements for Mars.