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Now that we are aware of abundant water deposits on Mars, a lot of options are open to us for Mars Direct. For example, the water can be electrolyzed into hydrogen and oxygen for fuel, with no need for hydrgogen feedstock or martian carbon dioxide. However, this fuel combination is highly cryogenic. It would be possible to save on the weight of the fuel tanks by using storable propellants--namely, Kerosene and Hydrogen Peroxide. The Kerosene can be brought from earth, while the peroxide can be manufactured from either the water or from the soil (as I understand it, Martian soil is rich in peroxide ions, but I could be wrong here.)
For more on the applications of hydrogen peroxide, check out: http://members.aol.com/dsfportree/ex87b.htm
"I'm not much of a 'hands-on' evil scientist."--Dr. Evil, "Goldmember"
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It would definately simplify life if we didn't have to worry about packing fuel tanks with all of the equipment required to keep cryogenic fuels in a liquid state. Since hydrogen peroxide has a lot of the same properties as water, I imagine it would freeze easily on Mars. In any event it should be easier warming up fuel than refrigerating it to near 0 temperatures.
To achieve the impossible you must attempt the absurd
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According to the ideal gas law, there are two methods of reducing the volume that a gas occupies: reducing the temperature (as NASA does with cryogenic fuels) or increasing the pressure. As an alternative to keeping the methane or hydrogen fuel in cryogenic storage, would it be practical to simply keep them under pressure? Although my knowledge of thermodynamics is lacking, I do believe that this arrangement would result in a lower efficiency than cryogenic propellants.
"I'm not much of a 'hands-on' evil scientist."--Dr. Evil, "Goldmember"
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