Hey guys. IRL I go to MIT and my professor and lab research head is working with the Time Capsule to Mars project (http://www.timecapsuletomars.com/). The electrospray ion thruster are relatively simple and I can find out more info about the cost. They only require 150 grams of fuel to have the delta-v for a transfer from LEO to Mars. I also know people in astrodynamics who could help with aerobraking and transfers at Mars; some of my friends and I could work on it for our dynamics modelling class next semester for our final project I bet. At least we'd get the skills necessary to make a rough outline. A lot of tech development is currently happening for this sort of thing, it just comes down to money (like every problem in space flight). Someone should start to organize a type of kick-starter/a fundraising campaign.
