Does building a base on the Moon increase the total mass throughput humanity can deliver to elsewhere in the solar system — and at cosmic scales (Tt/yr), what constraints bind first on each side?

graph TD
  classDef root fill:#fafaf7,stroke:#c4622d,stroke-width:2.5px,color:#1a1a1a,font-weight:bold;
  classDef leaf fill:#fafaf7,stroke:#4a4a4a,stroke-width:1px,color:#1a1a1a,font-weight:bold;
  classDef leafDone fill:#e8f3ee,stroke:#2d6a4f,stroke-width:1.5px,color:#1a1a1a,font-weight:bold;
  classDef leafInProg fill:#fef3e3,stroke:#d97706,stroke-width:1.5px,color:#1a1a1a,font-weight:bold;
  classDef synthesis fill:#f0efe9,stroke:#4a4a4a,stroke-width:1px,color:#1a1a1a,font-weight:bold;
  classDef constraint fill:#fafaf7,stroke:#9ca3af,stroke-width:1px,stroke-dasharray:4 3,color:#1a1a1a,font-weight:bold;
  root["Root question"]
  click root "/lunar-throughput-multiplier/" "Does building a base on the Moon increase the total mass throughput humanity can deliver to elsewhere in the solar system — and at cosmic scales (Tt/yr), what constraints bind first on each side?"
  class root root;
  q1_earth_industrial_ceiling["Earth industrial ceiling (6/6)"]
  root --> q1_earth_industrial_ceiling
  click q1_earth_industrial_ceiling "/lunar-throughput-multiplier/leaves/q1-earth-industrial-ceiling/" "What is the Earth-launch throughput ceiling imposed by industrial inputs (LOX, methane, engine production, pad cadence, stainless steel, ASU power) for chemical rockets — at what kt/yr or Mt/yr to LEO"
  class q1_earth_industrial_ceiling leafDone;
  q2_earth_atmospheric_ceiling["Earth atmospheric ceiling (3/6)"]
  root --> q2_earth_atmospheric_ceiling
  click q2_earth_atmospheric_ceiling "/lunar-throughput-multiplier/leaves/q2-earth-atmospheric-ceiling/" "What is the Earth-launch throughput ceiling imposed by atmospheric chemistry — ozone depletion (Cl, BC, NOx), stratospheric water-vapor injection, reentry metal injection (alumina, Na, Fe), and therma"
  class q2_earth_atmospheric_ceiling leafInProg;
  q3_earth_destination_reachability["Earth destination reachability …"]
  root --> q3_earth_destination_reachability
  click q3_earth_destination_reachability "/lunar-throughput-multiplier/leaves/q3-earth-destination-reachability/" "For each propulsion class — (a) chemical methalox (Starship-like primary regime), (b) electric / ion propulsion stages, (c) nuclear thermal rockets (NTR), (d) nuclear pulse propulsion (NPP / Orion-sty"
  class q3_earth_destination_reachability constraint;
  q4_lunar_power_ceiling["Lunar power ceiling (0/6)"]
  root --> q4_lunar_power_ceiling
  click q4_lunar_power_ceiling "/lunar-throughput-multiplier/leaves/q4-lunar-power-ceiling/" "(DEPRECATED) What is the achievable power-supply ceiling for a mature lunar industrial base?"
  class q4_lunar_power_ceiling leaf;
  q5_lunar_materials_ceiling["Lunar materials ceiling (0/6)"]
  root --> q5_lunar_materials_ceiling
  click q5_lunar_materials_ceiling "/lunar-throughput-multiplier/leaves/q5-lunar-materials-ceiling/" "What is the lunar regolith mining + processing rate ceiling at industrial maturity, and what fraction of launched mass must remain Earth-shipped 'vitamin' material (copper, REE, polymers, electronics,"
  class q5_lunar_materials_ceiling leaf;
  q6_mass_driver_throughput["Mass driver throughput (0/6)"]
  root --> q6_mass_driver_throughput
  click q6_mass_driver_throughput "/lunar-throughput-multiplier/leaves/q6-mass-driver-throughput/" "What is the throughput ceiling of a mature lunar mass-driver architecture — first-principles power → kg/s for a single driver (accounting for duty cycle, cycle-life, thermal dissipation in vacuum, pay"
  class q6_mass_driver_throughput leaf;
  q7_receiver_infrastructure["Receiver infrastructure (0/6)"]
  root --> q7_receiver_infrastructure
  click q7_receiver_infrastructure "/lunar-throughput-multiplier/leaves/q7-receiver-infrastructure/" "(DEPRECATED) What catcher/receiver infrastructure is required?"
  class q7_receiver_infrastructure constraint;
  q8a_moon_propellant_for_earth_launched["Q8a moon propellant for earth l…"]
  root --> q8a_moon_propellant_for_earth_launched
  click q8a_moon_propellant_for_earth_launched "/lunar-throughput-multiplier/leaves/q8a-moon-propellant-for-earth-launched/" "If the Moon uses its entire propellant-production capacity to supply LOX/LH2/H2O/etc. to LEO and cislunar (rather than burning it on Moon-launched cargo): how much does Earth-launched cargo's effectiv"
  class q8a_moon_propellant_for_earth_launched leaf;
  q8b_moon_propellant_for_moon_launched["Q8b moon propellant for moon la…"]
  root --> q8b_moon_propellant_for_moon_launched
  click q8b_moon_propellant_for_moon_launched "/lunar-throughput-multiplier/leaves/q8b-moon-propellant-for-moon-launched/" "If the Moon uses its entire propellant-production capacity on Moon-launched cargo (mass-driver-boosted-then-burned chemical/NTR upper stages, or fully propulsive chemical/NTR ascent from regolith): ho"
  class q8b_moon_propellant_for_moon_launched leaf;
  q9_synthesis_cosmic_multiplier["Synthesis cosmic multiplier (0/…"]
  root --> q9_synthesis_cosmic_multiplier
  click q9_synthesis_cosmic_multiplier "/lunar-throughput-multiplier/leaves/q9-synthesis-cosmic-multiplier/" "Integrating Earth ceilings (q1, q2), propulsion-class destination reachability (q3), lunar materials (q5), mass-driver throughput including parallelization and brief receiver discussion (q6), and the "
  class q9_synthesis_cosmic_multiplier synthesis;