Pioneering Challenges
The Boeing CST-100
Starliner crewed vehicle, to
be used for LEO
destinations. (Boeing)
NASA has identified specific scientific and technical challenges for the
journey to Mars through rigorous studies, including an ongoing series of
architectural trade analyses, external reviews, assessments of deep-space
habitation options with international partners, and high-priority objectives
of science decadal studies. NASA and our partners around the world have
already solved some of these challenges. The remaining challenges will
be systematically addressed over the next two decades by the capabilities
demonstrated through science missions, on the ISS, and in the Proving
Ground as we move toward Earth Independence.
Transportation
Transportation capabilities are necessary to send humans to space
affordably and reliably, provide high-thrust access to staging
points in cislunar space, and efficiently and safely transport crew
and exploration systems on the longer journey to Mars.
Commercial Cargo and Crew: Advances in transportation
capabilities are only possible if NASA can shift to a more efficient
mode of operations for current Earth-to-LEO transportation.
NASA is partnering with commercial industry to make this shift
possible. Through a commercial crew and cargo capability, NASA can rely on
a less expensive, flexible commercial market to provide LEO transportation
services, freeing up resources for beyond LEO and planetary transportation.
NASA’s commercial
crew and cargo
program has
bolstered U.S.
launch market
share globally
Beyond Low Earth Orbit Propulsion—SLS and Orion: A human-class
Mars mission will require unprecedented amounts of mass transported
farther than any previous human mission to space. A single Mars mission
may require several 20-30 mt payloads delivered to the surface to support
the crew as well as an in-space habitat, transportation stages, and supplies for
round-trip missions of up to 1,100-days. In addition to mass, payload volume
is a challenge. To enable cargo missions, NASA envisions a new 10-meter
diameter fairing for the evolved SLS to accommodate unprecedented
volumes. Commercial cargo services may be used to supplement the SLS's
core role.
In-Space Power and Propulsion: Power is critical for exploration systems;
however, it is particularly important for the transportation architecture. Each
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