Yeah, about that "impractical" part. I think it's time to reconsider it. With the Falcon, SpaceX has made access to space if not cheap then at least very affordable. The sheer cost of the Mars missions, as an example, make the market launch price look like change. The design also has to be perfect due to this "once in a decade" mentality.
So I really think it's time to focus on "get there quickly" to make missions cheaper. Design a relatively simple vessel weighing around 40t or so with enormous ISP (electrical or chemical, whatever fits the bill) and then use it twice per year or even more often to send more or less standardized probes to whatever target you find interesting.
I am well aware that this concept sketch trivializes many aspects of space missions: Communication, power, navigation to name just a few aspects. But I still think that oversizing and then using the same design often would be much cheaper in the long run.
So I really think it's time to focus on "get there quickly" to make missions cheaper. Design a relatively simple vessel weighing around 40t or so with enormous ISP (electrical or chemical, whatever fits the bill) and then use it twice per year or even more often to send more or less standardized probes to whatever target you find interesting.
I am well aware that this concept sketch trivializes many aspects of space missions: Communication, power, navigation to name just a few aspects. But I still think that oversizing and then using the same design often would be much cheaper in the long run.