Iac-15-D2,8-A5.4,8
66th International Astronautical Congress, Jerusalem, Israel. Copyright ©2015 by the International Astronautical Federation. All rights reserved. IAC-15-D2,8-A5.4,8 NEXT STEPS IN THE EVOLVABLE PATH TO MARS Approved for Public Release #2015-044 R. Joseph Cassady Aerojet Rocketdyne, USA, joe.cassady@rocket.com Kate Maliga Aerojet Rocketdyne, USA, kate.maliga@rocket.com Steven Overton Aerojet Rocketdyne, USA, steven.overton@rocket.com Thomas Martin Aerojet Rocketdyne, USA, thomas.martin-III@rocket.com Chris Sanders Aerojet Rocketdyne, USA, christopher.sanders@rocket.com C. Russell Joyner Aerojet Rocketdyne, USA, claude.joyner-II@rocket.com Tim Kokan Aerojet Rocketdyne, USA, timothy.kokan@rocket.com Marco Tantardini Independent Consultant, Italy, marco.tantardini@gmail.com ABSTRACT NASA is currently underway developing the Space be possible to reduce the costs of a human campaign of Launch System (SLS) to carry crew and cargo beyond Mars expeditions by as much as 60% over the low Earth orbit (LEO). The heavy lift capabilities of the previously estimated cost targets. This will provide an SLS will enable spacecraft and mission architecture affordable and sustainable approach that will allow the flexibility not achievable with current or proposed US and its international partners to begin preparing now alternative, medium and heavy lift launch vehicles. The by developing the required elements. As we move SLS is being designed in an evolutionary approach to forward into missions that prepare the way for Mars, a provide increased performance as NASA’s Exploration Deep Space Habitat and a Solar Electric Propulsion program advances. This approach will see the SLS (SEP)-based transfer stage may represent the next grow from an initial configuration (Block 1) capable of logical capabilities that should be developed according lifting more than 70mT to LEO to an intermediate to an incremental build-up logic.
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