>>One could, I suppose, theoretically loft a billion-zillion tiny parts
>>and put them together in orbit, but it would be heinously inefficient
>>and the possibility of things going messily wrong during assembly are
>>pretty high; plus it doesn't fit in with the world's pulp action
>>ethos. Bolting together modules in orbit swashes no bucklers.
>
>Spoken like someone who's never tried docking in Kerbal Space Program.
>
>Seriously, it seems like the KSP aesthetic is what you're going for.
>You should give it a try.

Well, it's less a question of differing assembly techniques, as the fact that they've really only got ONE GOOD CHANCE to get to the moon in the first place. So the focus is on a single, reliable as humanly possible, moon craft. And since the propulsion system is going to be unique (well, not usable for another hundred years), they're throwing all their efforts into this form of launch instead of the US/USSR's more incremental and assembly approach.

It should be noted that both the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom did very rushed versions of Mercury/Vostok, which were even more on the edge getting them ready than our own world's, so once they got people to orbit, they stopped since they'd pushed the tech curve TOO far for human safety. They decided not to risk things further for the time being; better to just loft better satellites for the time being.

--- Philip

	Philip J. Moyer Contributing Writer, Editor and Artist (and Moderator) -- Eyrie Productions, Unlimited CEO of MTS, High Poobah Of Artwork, and High Priest Of the Church Of Aerianne -- Magnetic Terrapin Studios "Insert Pithy Comment Here" Fandoms -- Fanart -- Fan Meta Discussions