Ion powered Tanker

[Shadows2b]

Since the 1.0 and the new mining stuff, I see everyone arguing on tankers to refuels ships, but is i possible to make en Ion powered tanker to do the surface>Orbit? or it would ask a ridiculous amount of engines?

[Guest]

LKO with Ions?

No

[Reddeyfish]

It won't work on planets, but using a ridiculous amount of engines on a moon would probably work.

However, Xenon can't be produced by an ISRU refinery, so LF+O engines are more sustainable.

[Shadows2b]

LKO with Ions?

No

Obviously not for kerbin, for moons like minmus

And it's not to transport it to the other side of the system, juste to make orbit for the randez vous and refuelling

[ghpstage]

It doesn't make sense from a logistics perspective, just think about it!

A craft that carries fuel produced offworld requiring expensive launches from Kerbin in order to refuel itself....

[Shadows2b]

It doesn't make sense from a logistics perspective, just think about it!

A craft that carries fuel produced offworld requiring expensive launches from Kerbin in order to refuel itself....

Seen that way

I thought maybe it could do a few dozen trips, making it viable in some ways

[vicwarrior]

going with LFO engines is much better, since you can directly refuel every trip when picking up fuel at the surface, effectively making it self-sustainable, as well as infinitely cheaper (assuming you are playing career, xenon is expensive) and saves the headache that would be building a tug capable of fitting enough electric charge and ion engines to pull some fuel around.