/sci/ - Science & Math

>>11781138
>>melting metal
need not take much energy if you aren't melting much of it
>>yes
prove it
>>that limits you to the amount of tubes you can get there at a time
You can't print everything which means you will still be limited by parts coming from earth. Airlocks, stuff for sealing your habitat, air handling equipment, lights, and basically everything that ain't dirt will need to come from earth for the forseeable future. You can get more tubes there at a time by making them on the spot through spiral welding of sheet metal.
>>11781133
excavators don't scale down well. Especially when the gravity's lower. One big excavator will be better than a bunch of small ones. This is because the amount of force an excavator can apply is limited by friction which is limited by weight. Excavators work better when they are heavier.