Rocket equation only: no gravity losses, plane changes or margins. The Earth's-surface option applies a launch factor of 5.2×, the site's Earth-to-LEO gear ratio. Routes that start off Earth ignore it. Indicative, not a mission plan.
Below about 3×, ship it: local production has to beat a supply chain that already works. Above about 10×, making it locally wins even at poor yields and high capital cost. Between the two, yield, capital cost and site life decide it - see the Ship-or-Make Threshold and Gear Ratio.
Gravity and steering losses, plane changes, finite-burn effects, staging, boil-off on long coasts, and every margin a real mission carries. The Mars Δv already includes aerobraking credit. Nuclear electric uses impulsive Δv, which understates a low-thrust spiral by about half. Use the output to compare corridors, not to design against.
| Corridor | Δv km/s | Measured from | Gear ratio | Rated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LEO → GEO | 3.90 | LEO, plus launch | 17.4× | Observed |
| LEO → EML-1 | 3.77 | LEO, plus launch | 16.8× | Observed |
| LEO → SEL-1 | 3.40 | LEO, plus launch | 15.1× | Observed |
| LEO → SEL-2 | 3.40 | LEO, plus launch | 15.1× | Observed |
| LEO → Lunar surface | 5.90 | LEO, plus launch | 30.7× | Observed |
| Lunar surface → EML-1 | 2.52 | Local | 2.3× | Building |
| EML-1 → Mars transfer | 0.77 | Local | 1.4× | Building |
| LEO → Mars surface | 4.90 | LEO, plus launch | 23.1× | Observed |
| Phobos → Mars surface | 0.90 | Local | 1.4× | Projected |
| Deimos → Ceres | 2.90 | Local | 2.5× | Modeled |
| LEO → Ceres | 9.60 | LEO, plus launch | 87.6× | Modeled |
| LEO → Callisto | 11.80 | LEO, plus launch | 163× | Modeled |
| LEO → Titan | 12.60 | LEO, plus launch | 205× | Modeled |
| LEO → Triton | 16.40 | LEO, plus launch | 601× | Modeled |
| LEO → Pluto-Charon | 18.20 | LEO, plus launch | 1,001× | Modeled |
From the Corridor Index. Lunar surface → Lunar orbit is left out: its use is a mass driver, which spends no propellant.