In the novel The Martian, in the midst of sequences where NASA is deciding to send supplies to Mark, and Rich Purnell is calculating the orbit or trajectory for the mission, there is a section that reads as follows:
All 25 of the courses take 414 days, and vary only slightly in thrust duration and angle. The fuel requirement is nearly identical for the orbits and is well within the capacity of EagleEye's booster.
It's too bad. Earth and Mars are really badly positioned. Heck, it's almost easier to--
He stopped typing. Furrowing his brow, he stared into the distance.
What was being implied in this paragraph? Almost easier to do what?