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| | Max Payload per Launch Dollar |
 | | where E is the energy delivered to the propellant, M is the propellant mass, and V is the propellant exhaust velocity. |
 | | Suppose we have a rocket system that has a payload, P, a propellant mass, M, and a rocket ship with mass S. Some energy source delivers energy E to the propellant mass M. The propellant exhaust velocity is V. The objective is to find the best propellant exhaust velocity, V, to deliver the payload. |
 | | Thrusting in the region of the perigee to develop a delta_V of about 840 m/s will result in both Earth escape and the required 4000 m/s V_infinity (a C3 of about 16 km squared per second squared). |
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