>>10981301OP just asked about getting it back to Earth and didn't necessarily ask about the cost of mining it.
>>10981342because the artist is lazy. I see no problem with the excavators used in OP's pic for mining stuff other than helium 3. For mining other stuff you want to scoop up a bunch of regolith and move it to processing facilities. A set up like that with mobile excavators and conveyor belts is going to be pretty good for doing so. Especially since it's easier to power said excavators and conveyors with electricity than it is with say dump trucks.
>>Soyuzjust imagine how far a soyuz rocket could go if launched from the moon. Also it might make sense to use unconventional propellants on the Moon like magnesium or aluminum and oxygen. Which might operate by blowing LOX through a tube of metal or a LOX metal powder 'solid rocket.' In the solid rocket case, it definitely makes sense to have staging. Sure the isp is lower, but there is a heck of a lot more magnesium and aluminum on the moon than there is water.
