NASA Nuclear Power on the Moon, Mars, and Beyond

Links and References

Kilopower Overview

Orbital ATK Cygnus Cis-Lunar Concept

Trump Directs NASA to Return Astronauts to the Surface of the Moon

Links and References

New Policy Directs NASA to Return Astronauts to Moon

New Space Policy Directive Calls for Human Expansion Across Solar System

Trump starts process of sending Americans back to moon

President Trump Is Sending NASA Back To The Moon

Trump to send astronauts back to the moon -- and eventually Mars

A View from One Million Miles Away: Back side of a full Moon crossing in front of the sphere of a full Earth

Renewable Methanol as Liquid Electricity

Uber Air Flying Car

Lockheed Martin's Reusable Extraterrestrial Landing Vehicle Concept for the Moon and Mars

Notional MADV on the surface of Mars (Credit: Lockheed Martin)

by Marcel F. Williams

 At the 68th International Astronautical Congress, held in Australia last September, Lockheed Martin  unveiled a remarkable new extraterrestrial spacecraft concept.  The single staged space vehicle would be capable of landing either  unmanned or crewed on the surfaces of the Moon or Mars. The MADV (Mars Ascent/Descent Vehicle) would be a propellant depot dependent spacecraft fueled with liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. And the MADV would be capable of transporting four member crews to the surfaces of the Moon or Mars. 

MADV (Mars Ascent/Descent Vehicle)

Propellant: 80 tonnes of LOX/LH2 

Inert weight: 30 tonnes 

Engines: 6 RL-10 engines

Maximum delta v capability:  6.0 km/s

Crew: Up to four astronauts

Notional MADV on the polar surface of the Moon (Credit: Lockheed Martin)

After landing on the lunar or martian surface, crews would utilize an electric powered lift located on the vehicle's leeward side to access the surface from the pressurized crew cabin.  Located between its six RL-10 engines, near the bottom of the vehicle, a retractable equipment lift would be lowered to deploy mobile vehicles and other equipment for use on the surface.

However, the MADV's  high delta-v capability (6 km/s)  could also allow the spacecraft to be used as a crew transport  within cis-lunar space. Utilizing pre-deployed propellant manufacturing water depots at LEO and EML1, the MADV could easily transport crews between LEO to EML1-- even with the addition of a  crew hab (10 to 20 tonnes in mass)  with  protective shielding against heavy ions. 

Notional MADV on top of an SLS Block IB (Credit: Lockheed Martin)

 MADV Capabilities

1. Unmanned lunar lander for deploying mobile robotic vehicles and unmanned sample returns

2. A crewed lunar lander capable of traveling to the lunar surface and back to the propellant depots and Deep Space Habitats located at EML1-- on a single tank of fuel

3. Unmanned Mars lander for deploying mobile robotic vehicles for unmanned sample returns from the martian surface.

4. A crewed Mars lander capable of traveling from low Mars orbit to the martian surface and back to low Mars orbit-- on a single tank of fuel.

5. If fueled from a depot in high Mars orbit, it could land directly on the martian surface for Mars outpost operations.

6. If refueled from a depot near an outpost on the martian surface, the MADV could transport its crew all the way to a permanent habitat stationed in high Mars orbit.

7. A crewed orbital transfer vehicle capable of transporting astronauts from propellant depots located at  LEO to propellant depots located at any of the Earth-Moon Lagrange points or in  low lunar orbit.

8. The SLS Block IB could be utilized to transport the MADV to LEO with enough fuel to deploy  itself anywhere within cis-lunar space (EML1, EML2, EML4, EML5, Low Lunar Orbit).

9. An SLS launched  MADV could also arrive at LEO with  enough propellant to transport itself all the way to propellant manufacturing water depots located in high Mars orbit.

Notional landing and take-off of the MADV to and from the surface of Mars (Credit: Lockheed Martin)

Maximum Delta-V Budget for the MADV (6.0 km/s)

Cis-Lunar Space Delta-V

LEO to EML1 (~2 days) - 4.41 km/s

LEO to EML1 (~4 days) - 3.77 km/s 

EML1 to or from LLO - (~2 days) - 0.75 km/s

EML1 to or from LLO - (~3 days) - 0.64 km/s

LEO to  LLO (~2 days) - 4.5 km/s

LEO to LLO (4 days) - 3.97 km/s

LLO to or from the Lunar surface - 1.87 to 2.2 km/s

Mars Delta-V

LMO (500 km circular orbit) EDL to Martian surface - 1.27 km/s

Mars surface to LMO (500 km circular orbit)  - 4.2 km/s

HMO to or from  LMO - 1.4 km/s

HMO to Martian surface via 500 km circular orbit - 2.67 km/s

Mars surface to HMO - 5.6 km/s

LEO to HMO - 5.2 km/s

LEO- Low Earth Orbit, EML1 - Earth-Moon Lagrange Point 1, LLO- Low Lunar Orbit, HMO - High Mars Orbit, LMO - Low Mars Orbit, EDL - Entry, Descent, and Landing


The development and deployment of the MADV still wouldn't negate the need for large unmanned cargo landing vehicles for the Moon and Mars. Such landing craft would be needed to deploy large and heavy habitats, vehicles and other large structures  to the surfaces of the Moon and Mars and, eventually, to other worlds within the solar system.

But  a single stage extraterrestrial landing vehicle such as the MADV should be faster and cheaper to develop than previous two stage crew concepts for the Moon and Mars. So Lockheed Martin's  MADV could be a game changer as a reusable extraterrestrial vehicle capable of using a propellant depot architecture within cis-lunar space and beyond.  And with its high delta-v capability, the MADV could also be the landing vehicle of choice for conveniently transporting humans to the surfaces of the Moon, Mars, Mercury, Callisto, and possibly even Saturn's moon,  Titan, during the rest of the  21st century.   

Links and References

Mars Base Updates and New Concepts

Lockheed Martin Mars Lander Ship Concept (Video)

 Lockheed Martin Adds Lander to Mars Base Concept

On Orbit Refueling: Supporting a Robust Cislunar Space Economy

Mars Base Camp (Video)

Earth to Earth Intercontinental Rocket Transport

FlexBlue Underwater Commercial Nuclear Reactor

Links and References

Atomic power stations out at sea may be better than inland ones

Underwater Power Plants


The Flexblue system; early considerationson safeguarding

Flexblue® Underwater Reactor: Introduction to the Concept and to The Passive Safety Strategy for a Steam Generator Tube Rupture Accident:

NASA's Nuclear Thermal Rocket Concepts

Links and References

Space Technology Game Changing Development Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP)

Nuclear Rockets to Mars (The 1960s)

Serenergy's 800 km Range Plugin-Hybrid Methanol Fuel Cell Electric Car

Links and References 

FIAT-e500-Battery-electric-plugin-hybrid-car-with-methanol-fuel-cell-range-extender

New methanol fuel cell car for Just Eat

Methanol Filling Station in Europe

The Production and Utilization of Renewable Methanol in a Nuclear Economy

Dr. Prakash on the Methanol Economy

The Methanol Alternative: 2012 Methanol Forum

Floating Cities

Links and References

Seasteading Institute 

Seasteading 

(Part IV) A Practical Timeline for Establishing a Permanent Human Presence on the Moon and Mars using SLS and Commercial Launch Capability

Three Mars Regolith Habitats (MRH) connected to a transparent martian biosphere covered with a water shielded biodome.

by Marcel F. Williams

Part IV: Mars

Once NASA has established a permanent human presence in high Mars orbit in the form of a microgravity storm shelter (BA-330), microgravity Deep Space Habitat (DSH), and a rotating simulated gravity producing space station (AGH-SS), the American space agency can then proceed to establish a permanent human presence on the surface of Mars.

An Ares CLV-7B with payload joined with an  ADEPT deceleration shield needed to safely enter  the martian atmosphere before landing. An additional attitude control module is added to enable thrusters to  control the angle of the vehicle's entry into the  martian atmosphere.

2032

SLS Launches:


SLS Launch 34: Two CLV-7A (Cargo Landing Vehicle) to LEO to be deployed to high Mars orbit by OTV-125 vehicles and deployed to the martian surface by ADEPT decelerators

The First CLV-7A  will have an  ATHLETE robot that will deploy electric powered excavation vehicles, sintering vehicles,  backhoe, lifting crane

The Second CLV-7A   will deploy at least 160 KWe of  nuclear power to the  martian surface with at least a 10 year lifetime for the fueled reactors.

SLS Launch  35: Two CLV-7A (Cargo Landing Vehicle) to LEO to be deployed to high Mars orbit by OTV-125 vehicles and deployed to the martian surface by ADEPT decelerators

The first CLV-7A will deploy  a mobile hydrogen tanker (MHT)   plus  four   Water Bug regolith water extraction robots to the martian surface

The  second  CLV-7B will carry two mobile water tankers (MWT), two mobile LOX tankers (MLT) 


SLS Launch 36: Two CLV-7A (Cargo Landing Vehicle) to LEO to be deployed to high Mars orbit by OTV-125 vehicles and deployed to the martian surface by ADEPT decelerators

The first CLV-7A will deploy  a second mobile hydrogen tanker (MHT)   plus  four   Water Bug regolith water extraction robots to the martian surface

The  second  CLV-7B will carry two mobile ground transport vehicles

SLS Launch 37: Two Ares-ETLV-4 crew landers to LEO. They will self deploy themselves to high Mars orbit and deploy themselves to the martian surface attached to ADEPT decelerators

Commercial Launches:

1. Private commercial launch companies will continue to deploy ADEPT  deceleration shields to LEO. The deceleration shields will be transported to high Mars orbit  by NASA's growing fleet of  Orbital Transfer Vehicles (OTV-125). The ADEPT shields will allow NASA to use cargo landing vehicles (CLV-7B) and crew landing vehicles (ETLV-4), originally designed for lunar missions, to deploy cargo and crews to the martian surface. 

2. ACES  68 WPD-LV will be deployed to the lunar surface and to the surface of Mars and Deimos, replacing NASA's WPD-LV-7A propellant producing water depots

Note: 

1. All SLS and commercial launched vehicles for Mars will be deployed to Mars during the 2033 launch windows. 

2. Reusable OTV-125 will continue to be deployed to LEO with every SLS launch that uses an upper payload fairing

Two Lunar Regolith Habitats (LRH) next to a lunar biosphere domed with lunar regolith bags to protect it against excessive cosmic ration, micrometeorites, and extreme thermal fluctuations.

2033

SLS Launches:

SLS Launch 38:  A single CLV-7B carrying a Mars Regolith Habitat (MRH) will be launched to LEO to be deployed to high Mars orbit by an OTV-125  and deployed to the martian surface by ADEPT decelerators

SLS Launch 39: A second CLV-7B carrying a Mars Regolith Habitat (MRH) with a equipped with a medical level will be launched to LEO to be deployed to high Mars orbit by an OTV-125  and deployed to the martian surface by ADEPT decelerators

SLS Launch 40: A single CLV-7B carrying a Lunar Regolith Habitat (LRH) will be deployed to LEO. The lunar habitat will be used as an aquaculture facility for raising shrimp and fish.

SLS Launch 41: Two CLV-7A (Cargo Landing Vehicle) to LEO to be deployed to the lunar surface.

The First CLV-7B will deploy an inflatable 32 meter in diameter Kevlar biosphere to the lunar surface

The Second CLV-7B will deploy the biosphere's connecting airlocks (2.4 meters in diameter),

Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS) and panel components for the internal construction of housing and work spaces  and geodesic dome components.

Notes: 

1. Odyssey 5 crew will depart EML1 during an April 2033 launch window, arriving in high Mars orbit in October 2033  to join 12 astronauts who are already in Mars orbit from the previous Odyssey flight.

2. Mars surface outpost components  will be transported by OTV-125 spacecraft from EML1 during May 2033 launch windows, arriving in high Mars orbit in September of 2033. 

3. A crew of six (four Americans and two foreign guest astronauts) will be the first humans to set foot on the surface of Mars in November of 2033, landing an ADEPT shielded Ares-ETLV-4 on the martian surface. A second landing of six will occur, three months later in February of 2034. Afterwards, crewed flights to the martian surface from high Mars orbit will occur every six months. 

4. The Ares ETLV-4 crew lander can land on the surface of Mars with enough propellant to return to low Mars orbit. A second  option lands the Ares ETLV-4 on the surface of Mars   with only enough hydrogen to return to Mars orbit; liquid oxygen would be supplied by mobile LOX tankers (MLT) deriving their oxygen supplies from propellant depots located near the martian outpost.  A third option lands the Ares ETLV-4 on the martian surface almost empty with both LOX and LH2 supplied from the Mars outpost for its return trip to orbit.

5. Eight  Odyssey 4 and Odyssey 5 crew members will depart Mars orbit in January 2035, returning to cis-lunar space in September of 2035 aboard the Odyssey 4. They will leave 16 crew members behind in Mars orbit aboard the AGH-SS and on the surface of Mars at the Mars outpost. 

6. The inflatable lunar Kevlar biosphere will 32 meters in diameter with a safety factor of four. Lunar regolith bags two meters thick will shield the upper hemisphere from micrometeorites, excessive radiation, and from extreme thermal fluctuations. The upper hemisphere of the lunar biosphere will provide a spacious recreational area under the geodesic dome. The lower hemisphere of the lunar biosphere will provide ample accommodations for housing, laboratories, and food production: agronomy, aquaculture, poultry.

 

Crewed Ares ETLV-4 coupled with a protective ADEPT deceleration shield. The Ares ETLV-4 can land on the martian surface with enough propellant to return to low mars orbit. 

2034


1. SLS Launch 42: An MRH (Mars Regolith Habitat) agronomy habitat will be deployed to LEO with an Ares-CLV-7B and an OTV-125 destined for the martian surface. 

2. SLS Launch 43: An MRH aquaculture habitat will be deployed to LEO with an Ares-CLV-7B and an OTV-125 destined for the martian surface. 

3. SLS Launch 44: Two Ares ETLV-4 spacecraft plus an OTV-125 will be deployed to LEO destined for high Mars orbit.

 
4. SLS Launch 45: Two Ares CLV-7A (Cargo Landing Vehicle) to LEO to be deployed to LEO destined for the martian surface:

The First Ares CLV-7B will deploy an inflatable 32 meter in diameter Kevlar biosphere to the martian surface

The Second Ares CLV-7B will deploy the biosphere's connecting airlocks (2.4 meters in diameter),

Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS) and panel components for the internal construction of housing and work spaces  and transparent Kevlar biodome. 

Notes:

1. Mars biosphere: The the top hemisphere of the inner dome of the  Mars biosphere will be covered with a transparent UV filtering layer. The outer area will be  shielded from excessive cosmic radiation with a transparent water filled biodome. This will allow natural sunlight to enter the dome.

The martian moon Deimos will be utilized for the production of hydrogen, oxygen, and water eliminating the need to import water from the Earth's moon in order to provide water and propellant for interplanetary vessels returning to cis-lunar space. 

2035


1. SLS Launch 46: Two CLV-7B spacecraft will be deployed to LEO destined for the surface of the martian moon, Deimos:

The first CLV-7B  will deploy mobile ground excavation vehicles, lifting cranes, and regolith sintering vehicles. 

The second  CLV-7B  will deploy four small nuclear reactors for providing up to 160 KWe of electric power.


2. SLS Launch 47: An OTV-125 plus two CLV-7B spacecraft will be deployed to LEO destined for the surface of the martian moon, Deimos:

The first CLV-7B will have two cargo levels and will deploy mobile water, hydrogen, and water tankers to the surface of Deimos

The second CLV-7B will have two cargo levels and will deploy a plasma arc pyrolysis and syngas refinery to Deimos for the production of water, hydrogen, and water. The upper level will deploy another mobile hydrogen tanker.


3. SLS Launch 48: An OTV-125 plus a single CLV-7B carrying a Lunar Regolith Habitat (LRH) will be deployed to LEO. The lunar habitat will be used as poultry  facility for producing chickens and eggs.

4. SLS Launch 49: An OTV-125 plus two CLV-7B will be deployed to LEO destined for the lunar surface

The First CLV-7B will deploy an inflatable 32 meter in diameter Kevlar biosphere to the lunar surface

The Second CLV-7B will deploy the biosphere's connecting airlocks (2.4 meters in diameter),

Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS) and panel components for the internal construction of housing and work spaces  and geodesic dome components.

Notes

1. With five habitat modules and two biospheres, NASA's lunar outpost would be complete and capable of housing up to 200 personal-- if desired. 

2. Deimos water and propellant producing facility will allow NASA to fuel spacecraft operating in Mars orbit and interplanetary spacecraft heading back to cis-lunar space. 

3. Launch windows to Mars from cis-lunar space will occur in June and July of 2035 with payloads and personal arriving to high Mars orbit in December of 2035 or January of 2036. 


So, under this architecture, NASA will have permanent outpost on both the Moon and Mars, and artificial gravity outpost in high Mars orbit by the middle 2030s. The DOD will have permanent outpost on the Moon and an artificial gravity outpost at EML4 by early 2030s. This will be possible thanks to a combination of regular launches by the SLS (up to four launches a year by the late 2020s) and private commercial launch vehicles in the 2020s and the 2030s.

Propellant producing water depots are the key to substantially enhancing the payload capabilities of both the SLS and private commercial launch vehicles under this scenario. However, NASA's current plan of relying on propellants  that have to be terrestrially produced  and launched from the Earth's enormous gravity well would severely curtail the payload capabilities and sustainability of   the SLS and private commercial launch vehicles. 

Links and References


A Practical Timeline for  Establishing a Permanent Human Presence on the Moon and Mars using SLS and Commercial Launch Capability

 Part I

Part II

Part III

NASA Ames Research Center Trajectory Browser

What about Mr. Oberth?

Inflatable Biospheres for the New Frontier

Protecting Spacefarers from Heavy Nuclei

(Part III) A Practical Timeline for Establishing a Permanent Human Presence on the Moon and Mars using SLS and Commercial Launch Capability

A rotating artificial gravity space station in Mars orbit beyond the orbital arc of Deimos. One ETLV-4 crew lander is docked at the station's central docking port while a crewed ETLV-4 approaches the station after visiting the surface of Phobos.

by Marcel F. Williams

Part III: Artificial Gravity and the Moons of Mars 

While traveling from Earth to the Moon or the Earth-Moon Lagrange points only takes a few days, human voyages between Mars and cis-lunar space will require a several months of travel time. So astronauts will have to be adequately  protected from the  deleterious effects of cosmic radiation (especially its heavy nuclei components), solar storms, and the microgravity environment. 

The notional crewed spacecraft proposed under this scenario all have habitat areas that provide at least 20 grams per centimeter squared of radiation shielding, enough to protect astronauts from the penetration of heavy ions and from harmful levels of radiation resulting from major solar events. Such levels of shielding in interplanetary vehicles should limit astronaut radiation exposure to less than 30 Rem per year during the worse cosmic ray conditions (the solar minimum).  Permanently occupied space stations beyond the Earth's magnetosphere and  that rotate to produce a simulated gravity will have their internal shielding (iron plates)  gradually increased until levels of internal radiation exposure for its human inhabitants  is below 5 Rem per year (the legal limit of radiation exposure allowed for radiation workers on Earth). 

In order to mitigate or eliminate the deleterious effects of microgravity, under this architecture, artificial gravity environments (0.5g) will be provided for astronauts for multimonth interplanetary journeys. Simple rotating spacecraft (AGH-I) composed of three pressurized SLS propellant tank derived habitats joined together by cables and twin expandable and retractable booms will be used for interplanetary voyages between EML1 and high Mars orbit. Similar artificial gravity producing habitats will also be used for permanent space stations (AGH-SS) deployed in orbits within cis-lunar space and in orbit around Mars. 

Flight paths between LEO and  EML1 and EML1 and high Mars orbit

NASA is currently contemplating a solar/xenon based interplanetary architecture. The scenario presented here, however,  advocates a propellant depot based interplanetary architecture similar to that advocated by the ULA (United Launch Alliance). The advantages are:

1. LOX/LH2 propellant allows astronauts to reach Mars faster than interplanetary vessels propelled by xenon gas, reducing radiation exposure and the psychological stress of longer travel times.

2. The continuous drive of xenon engines would make it difficult to accommodate artificial gravity habitats, forcing astronauts to endure the deleterious of effects and the physical and psychological stresses associated with a microgravity environment. So multi-month journeys within a microgravity environment could significantly increase that chances of fatal mishaps during an interplanetary mission.

3. Chemical rockets would have the advantage of being able to dump their water shielding just before their final trajectory burns,  substantially reducing vehicle mass as the spacecraft enters high Mars orbit or cis-lunar space. 

4. A xenon based interplanetary spacecraft would be dependent on an expensive fuel that has to be launched out of the Earth's enormous gravity well. A LOX/LH2 producing water depot, on the other hand, could eventually use extraterrestrial sources of water and oxygen from the Moon, Mars, the moons of Mars, etc.  

5. In order to reduce the mass required to be launched from the Earth's gravity well, a xenon based interplanetary architecture would still require substantial amounts of extraterrestrial water for drinking, food preparation, washing, radiation protection, the production of air,  and for the production of LOX/LH2 or LOX/methane propellant for vehicles landing and taking off from the surfaces of Mars or the moons of Mars. So it would be much simpler and cheaper for extraterrestrial resources to be used for the entire architecture instead of just part of it.

Bigelow BA-330 habitat which is inherently provided with enough shielding to protect astronauts from heavy nuclei penetration.

SLS and Commercial Launch Sequences to Establish a Permanent Human Presence in High Mars Orbit

2027

SLS Launches: 

SLS Launch 14: Two CLV-7B (Cargo Landing Vehicle) deployed to lunar outpost after refueling at EML1:

First CLV-7B   will be carrying  a second mobile hydrogen tanker (MHT) derived from the 2.4 meter cryotank technology plus  four  more Water Bug microwave water extraction robots.

Second CLV-7B  will deploy at least 160 KWe of  nuclear power to the lunar surface with at least a 10 year lifetime for the fueled reactors. 

SLS Launch 15: SLS deploys first artificial gravity habitat to LEO (AGH-I). An OTV-125 (an IVF modified EUS) transports the AGH-I to EML1

SLS Launch 16: SLS deploys WPD-OTV-400  EML1. The propellant producing water depot will be capable of storing up to 400 tonnes of LOX/LH2 propellant and up to 1000 tonnes of water.  

SLS Launch 17: SLS deploys OTV-400 to EML1. The SLS propellant tank derived vehicle will be used to transport crews between high Mars orbit and cis-lunar space.  

Commercial Launches:

1. First commercial deployment of reusable ACES-68 (ULA) and Shepard (Blue Origin) derived lunar landing tankers for transporting  lunar water from the lunar surface to EML1 (at least 1000 tonnes to EML1 per year)

2. Commercial launches of twin satellite communications and navigation system to Sun-Mars L4 and L5  plus a trio of satellites into Aresynchronous orbit in order to establish uninterrupted communications between Earth and Mars and between Mars orbit and the martian surface.

Notes:

 1. 2027 will be the beginning of four SLS launches per year by NASA

2. The AGH-I will be provided with water 30 centimeters of internal water shielding from water depots located at EML1. In 2027, the crewed structure will test its ability to provide 0.5 g of simulated gravity and its ability to routinely expand and contract its cables and booms and to increase and decrease its rate of rotation. 

3. The OTV-400 orbital transfer vehicle will be tested by sending it unmanned to Sun-Earth L2 and then back to cis-lunar space. 

SLS propellant tank derived Deep Space Hab (DSH). Requires additional water shielding to protect astronauts from heavy nuclei penetration (Credit NASA)

2028

SLS Launches: 

SLS Launch 18: Two DSH (Deep Space Habitats) deployed to LEO; one remains permanently at LEO while the other will  be transported by an  OTV-125 to EML1 and then to high Mars orbit

SLS Launch 19: Second WPD-OTV-400 to EML1

SLS Launch 20: SLS deploys third WPD-OTV-400 to EML1

SLS Launch 21: SLS deploys fourth WPD-OTV-400 to EML1

Notes:

1. Odyssey 1 (OTV-400 +AGH-1+ETLV-4) will travel to to  SEL2 (Sun Earth Largrange Point 2) in order to test the Odyssey vehicles interplanetary capability. It will take about 30 days to reach ESL2 and 30 days to return to cis-lunar space. 30 days will be spent at SEL2. 

2. LEO DSH (LEO Space Hab) will join the BA-330 as an additional way station for beyond LEO missions for NASA  

SLS propellant tank derived artificial gravity habitat (AGH). Requires 30 cm of water shielding for crewed interplanetary journeys and 50 cm of iron shielding as a permanent space station deployed beyond the Earth's magnetosphere. 

2029

 SLS Launches:

SLS Launch 22: Second AGH-I deployed to EML1

SLS Launch 23: Second OTV-400 deployed to EML1

SLS Launch 24:  Two ETLV-4 + OTV-125 are launched to LEO for redeployment to EML1

SLS Launch 25: Two CLV-7B vehicles deployed to LEO for redeployment at EML1:

Cargo Langer One: mobile magnetic iron extraction robots + 3D iron  panel manufacturing machines for internally radiation shielding AGH-SS space stations.

Cargo Lander Two: regolith bag manufacturing plant to enhance the protection of landing pod areas and for shielding the domed sections of future biosphere habitats

Commercial Launches:

1. Commercial launch of  BA-330 to LEO and transported to EML1 by ACES-68 OTV. The BA-330 will  be transported to high   Mars orbit by an OTV-125; departs in February of 2029 to arrive in high Mars orbit in July of 2029.

Notes:

1. Odyssey 2: Second crewed  mission of the Odyssey spacecraft will be a 235 day  round trip to SEL1 (Sun-Earth Lagrange point 1)

2. With four  WPD-OTV-400 depots at EML1, one will depart for  Mars  in January of 2029 to arrive at high Mars orbit in July of 2029. A second WPD-OTV-400 depot will depart EML1 in February of 2029 to also arrive in high Mars orbit in July of 2029. Both propellant depots will carry at least 550 tonnes of water to high Mars orbit. 

3. OTV-125 transports DSH  to high Mars orbit; departing EML1 in January of 2029 to arrive at high Mars orbit in July of 2029.

LOX/LH2 fueled OTV-400 and EUS derived OTV-125. Both reusable vehicles will use the ULA's Integrated Vehicle Fluid technology for eliminate the need for helium and hydrazine while utilizing ullage gases for attitude control. 

2030

 SLS Launches:

SLS Launch 26: Third OTV-400 deployed to EML1

SLS Launch 27:  AGH-SS deployed to EML4 for DOD

SLS Launch 28: NASA deploys a second AGH-SS  to EML1. The partially iron shielded artificial gravity space station will  be transported to high Mars orbit by an OTV-400.

SLS Launch 29: Two Ares R-ETLV-4  deployed to EML1+ OTV-125


Commercial Launches:

1. First commercial crew  shuttles to the lunar surface: reusable  Xeus (ULA), reusable Lunar Shepard (Blue Origin)?

 

Notes:

1. Odyssey 3:  Crewed Odyssey mission ( OTV-400/AGH-I/ETLV-4)  to high Mars orbit with a flyby past Venus.  Departs from EML1 in February of 2030, flying past Venus in  July of 2030 and arriving at Mars in January 2031. The AGH-I will replenish its water shield by rendezvousing with one of  the WPD-OTV-400 water depots.   The Odyssey 3 will use one of the WPD-400 depots to refuel with LOX/LH2 propellant in order to depart  Mars orbit in April 2031,  returning to cis-lunar space in December of 2031. 

During the crew's three months stay in Mars orbit, the crew will use the two ETLV-4 vehicles in Mars orbit to visit the surfaces of Deimos and Phobos. The crew will also visit the  BA-330 storm shelter and the DHS previously deployed to  high Mars orbit 

2. Second ETLV-4 is not transported with the Odyssey vehicle but self deploys itself to high Mars orbit for utilization in the crewed mission, following the same flight pattern as the Odyssey 3. 

Reusable ETLV-4 will allow astronauts to visit the moons of Mars. The ETLV-4 will also be used to transport the the ADEPT attached Ares-ETLV-4 to low Mars orbit for missions to the surface of Mars.

2031

 SLS Launches: 

 SLS Launch 30: Two ETLV-4 + OTV-125 are launched to LEO for redeployment to EML1

SLS Launch 31: OTV-125+ LRH (Lunar Regolith Habitat) to Moon for DOD
 
SLS Launch 32: SLS deploys OTV-125+LRH (agronomy hab) to lunar outpost

SLS Launch 33: Two CLV-7B cargo landers deployed to LEO to be transported to EML1.

CLV-7B One will transport four mobile crew vehicles to the lunar outpost; two for NASA and two for the DOD.

CLV-7B Two will transport two mobile optical telescopes to the lunar surface: one for NASA and one for the DOD



Commercial Launches:

1. Start of commercial launch of ADEPT deceleration shields to LEO by Vulcan launch vehicles. The ADEPT shields will be transported to high Mars orbit by reusable  OTV-125 vehicles and possibly by ACES-68 vehicles.  

 Notes:


1. An OTV-400 will transport the partially shielded AGH-SS to high Mars orbit, departing in February of 2031 and arriving in high Mars orbit in September of 2031.  

2. Second crewed Odyssey mission (Odyssey 4) will be transported to high Mars orbit by another OTV-400. The Odyssey 4 will depart EML1 in March of 2031, arriving in high Mars orbit in August of 2031. Beginning of permanent human occupation of Mars AGH-SS space station

3. Lunar manufactured iron radiation shielding plates for the AGH-SS will be transported to high Mars orbit over the years by several OTV-125 vehicles, decreasing cosmic radiation exposure to less than 30 Rem per year to less than 5 Rem per year during solar minimum conditions. 

4. The two Ares R-ETLV-4 vehicles will rear dock with two ADEPT deceleration shields. An ETLV-4 will dock and transport an Ares R-ETLV-4  from high Mars orbit to low Mars orbit. The unmanned Ares-ETLV-4 will land on Mars, testing the ADEPT shield. Teleoperated robots will be deployed to collect regolith samples and samples of the martian atmosphere. The Ares R-ETLV-4 will return to low Mars orbit where it will be transported by an ETLV-4 back to high Mars orbit. Both Ares-R-ETLV-4 vehicles will be used multiple times,  mating with other expendable ADEPT shields for unmanned sample retrieval missions to the martian surface.  This will also test the reliability of the ADEPT shields for future crewed missions to the martian surface.

5. First DOD outpost on the lunar surface (just a few kilometers away from NASA’s lunar outpost). Mobile crew transport vehicles will be used to transport astronauts between   NASA and DOD facilities.  

Odyssey interplanetary space craft. After trajectory burns to insert the Odyssey into a Mars Transfer Orbit, the AGH-I will separate from the OTV-400 and the ETLV-4 in order to rotate and expand its cables and booms to provide 0.5g of simulated gravity in the twin counter-balancing habitat modules. The AGH will dump its water shield and reattach itself to the OTV-400 and the ETLV-4 for the final trajectory burns into orbit around Mars. 

A Permanent Human Presence in High Mars Orbit

So under this propellant depot architecture, the first crewed mission (Odyssey 3) to high Mars orbit will depart from EML1 in February of 2030 and arriving at Mars in January 2031, flying past the planet Venus during the nearly year long journey. Once the crew arrives, a DSH (Deep Space Habitat) and storm shelter (BA-330) will already be deployed in high Mars orbit in order to enhance their safety. After their orbital transfer vehicles (OTV-400) has been refueled by one of the twin propellant depots (WPD-OTV-400), the Odyssey 3 will depart from Mars in April 2031 and returning to cis-lunar space in December of 2031.

WPD-OTV-400 propellant producing water depot in high Mars orbit refueling an OTV-400 that will transport the Odyssey back to cis-lunar space.

The second crewed mission to high Mars orbit (Odyssey 4) will depart from EML1  in March of 2031, arriving in high Mars orbit in August of 2031. This mission will include the first use of ADEPT deceleration shields to land   R-ETLV-4 vehicles on the martian surface for the robotic retrieval of lunar regolith samples. 

Ares-ETLV-4 simply adds additional thrusters to the top of the ETLV-4 to provide sufficient attitude control while entering the martian atmosphere behind and ADEPT deceleration shield. 

Unmanned Ares-ETLV-4 attached to an ADEPT deceleration shield. Teleoperated robots will be deployed to retrieve regolith and atmospheric samples to be returned to low Mars orbit and back to the AGH-I.

Landing Humans on Mars will be the last part (Part IV) of this article.  
 

Links and References

 Part I: NASA and the DOD

Part II: The Moon

NASA Ames Research Center Trajectory Browser

What about Mr. Oberth?

Protecting Spacefarers from Heavy Nuclei

Reusable Heavy Cargo and Crew Landing Vehicles for the Moon and Mars

First Human Voyages to the Martian Moons Using SLS and IVF Derived Technologies

Landing on Mars with ADEPT Technology

(Part II) Practical Timelines and Funding for Establishing Permanent Outpost on the Moon and Mars using Propellant Producing Water Depots and SLS and Commercial Launch Capability

Twin Lunar Regolith Habitats (LRH) on the sintered surface of a lunar outpost. Surrounding walls are composed of aluminum panels that are automatically deployed while remaining  attached to the side of the pressurized habitat with each panel  joined together by a surrounding envelope of kevlar). The regolith wall is filled to the brim with lunar regolith, protecting astronauts from heavy ions, micrometeorites, and extreme thermal fluctuations, while reducing radiation exposure below 5 Rem per year. Twin habitats are connected to each other by a pressurized  inflatable tunnel.

by Marcel F. Williams
 
Part II: The Moon 

If NASA is provided with $3 billion in annual additional funding from the DOD, as proposed in Part I of this article, then full funding for NASA's cis-lunar  architecture can begin in 2019.  About $1.5 billion annually could be used for the development of unmanned and crewed single staged extraterrestrial landing vehicles derived from Boeing's 2.4 meter in diameter super light weight cryotank technology. Most of the remaining $1.5 billion in annual additional funding could be used for the conversion of the SLS EUS into a solar powered  propellant producing water depots and into spacious deep space habitats and into regolith shielded lunar habitats. 

Additional human spaceflight related funding for NASA will come from charging guest astronauts from foreign space agencies $150 million for every foreign astronauts participating in a beyond LEO mission for NASA. Since NASA's MPCV can carry up to six astronauts and private commercial companies will be capable of transporting up to seven individuals into orbit, NASA could easily accommodate up to three foreign astronauts per beyond LEO mission, saving NASA up to $450 million per flight. 

Substantially  more funding for NASA will be available once funds currently dedicated for Commercial Crew-- development-- are ended in the early 2020s and the ISS program is, finally, ended in the late 2020s.    

The following notional  SLS and private commercial launch sequences present a scenario for establishing a permanent American presence within cis-lunar space and  on the surface of the Moon  by the mid 2020s while also establishing water mining and propellant producing architecture on the lunar surface and a propellant producing water storage systems at LEO and EML1. During the 2020s, under this scenario, SLS flights will be limited to two launches per year once new RS-25 engines are in production.


Nomenclature: 


ACES-68: United Launch Alliance reusable upper stage with BE-3 LOX/LH2 engine

Credit United Launch Alliance

BA-330: Bigelow Aerospace inflatable habitat that will be inherently designed to protect astronauts from heavy ion radiation.

 CLV-7B: Notional cargo landing vehicle that uses seven Boeing 2.4 meter super light weight cryotanks.  With a water bag attached to the top of the vehicle, at least 35 tonnes of water can be delivered to EML1 from the lunar surface. CLV-7B should be capable of being reused at least ten times. 

CST-100 (Starliner): Boeing Aerospace commercial crew capsule. Combined with an ACES-68 and a Cygnus module, the Starliner could  be utilized as a reusable orbital transfer vehicle within cis-lunar space.  

Credit Boeing Aerospace

Cygnus/Orion: Internally mass shielded external habitat Cygnus module for Orion MPCV to protect astronauts from heavy ions during cis-lunar journeys beyond the Earth's magnetosphere  

Credit Orbital ATK

DSH: SLS/EUS deployed microgravity Deep Space Habitat derived from SLS hydrogen propellant tank technology  

Credit NASA

EML1: Earth-Moon Lagrange point 1

EML2: Earth-Moon Lagrange point 2  


ETLV-4: Notional reusable  crew landing vehicle and orbital transfer vehicle utilizing Boeing's 2.4 meter cyrotank technology and the ULA's IVF technology. Five tonnes of water shielding provides a section of the crew area with protection from from heavy ions. Unmanned version (R-ETLV-4) could be used  to deploy small robotic vehicles or cargo to the lunar surface.

EUS: The exploration upper stage would enable the SLS to deploy up to 105 tonnes of payload to LEO or at least 30 tonnes of payload to the Earth-Moon Lagrange points or low lunar orbit. 

Credit NASA

LRH: Notional CLV-7B deployed Lunar Regolith Habitat derived from SLS hydrogen tank technology that automatically deploys a surrounding regolith wall (eight aluminum panels hinged to the side of the pressurized habitat and joined together by an enveloping kevlar sheet ) filled with lunar regolith  2 meters thick, reducing radiation exposure withing the pressurized habitat to less than 5 Rem per year even during solar minimum conditions

MHT (Mobile Hydrogen Tanker):   Derived from three 2.4 meter cryotanks for fueling reusable landing craft with liquid hydrogen.

 MLT (Mobile LOX Tanker): Derived from a single 2.4 meter cryotanks for fueling reusable landing craft with liquid oxygen.

MPCV (Orion Multipurpose Crew Vehicle): Would enable the SLS to be used to deploy astronauts practically anywhere within cis-lunar space and return them safely to the Earth's surface. A radiation shielded Cygnus habitat module would be required to adequately shield astronauts from the deleterious effects of heavy ion radiation. 

Credit Boeing Aerospace

MWT (Mobile Water Tanker): Derived from a single 2.4 meter cryotanks for fueling reusable landing craft with liquid oxygen.

OTV-125: Notional reusable EUS derived orbital transfer vehicle utilizing ULA  IVF (Integrated Vehicle Fluids) technology  would be capable of transferring spacecraft and other payloads up to 90 tonnes in mass from LEO to other regions of cis-lunar space

After NASA

SLS: Space Launch System would be capable of deploying 70 to 105 tonnes to LEO or more than 30 tonnes of payload to the Earth-Moon Lagrange points

Credit NASA

 

Water Bug: Notional mobile robotic vehicle that utilizes microwaves to extract water from the lunar regolith at the lunar poles. 

WPD-LV-7A: Notional  propellant producing water depot derived from seven 2.4 meter cryotanks capable of self deploying itself to the lunar surface after SLS launch into orbit. The WPD-LV-7A would be capable of storing up to 70 tonnes of LOX/LH2 propellant and up to 150 tonnes of water.  

WPD-OTV-125: Notional reusable propellant (LOX/LH2) producing water depot derived from the EUS and utilizing IVF technology capable of storing up to 125 tonnes of LOX/LH2 propellant and up to 200 tonnes of water.

WPD-OTV-125@EML1

Notional  launch sequences utilized to progressively establish a permanent American presence on the surface of the  Moon:


2017

First Space X launch of the Falcon Heavy (up to 54 tonnes to LEO)

2018


First  commercial crew launch of the Atlas V/Centaur/CST-100 (Starliner) by the ULA

First  commercial crew launch of the Falcon 9/Dragon by Space X

1. This will be  the beginning of private commercial crew launches to LEO and  the return of crew launches into space  from American soil and


2019

SLS Launch 1: First NASA test launch of heavy lift vehicle  and  unmanned  Orion/MPCV

First  commercial launch of the Vulcan/Centaur by the ULA (up to 20 tonnes to LEO)

1. This will be the beginning of NASA's heavy lift program 



2020

Commercial launch vehicle deploys first private  habitat  to LEO ( BA-330)

1. This will be the beginning of the deployment of private commercial pressurized habitats to LEO by private commercial spacecraft 


2021 

SLS Launch 2: NASA SLS/EUS deployment of  BA-330 to EML1

SLS Launch 3: First  SLS/EUS  launch of a crew aboard the Cygnus/Orion MPCV to EML1

Commercial Launch:  Satellite  lunar navigation system for NASA and DOD are deployed by commercial launch vehicles to EML1 and EML2 (two lunar navigation satellites to EML1 and two lunar navigation satellites to  EML2)


1. The beginning of two NASA SLS launches per year. 

2. Since the SLS is likely to be assembled and operated by a private company, NASA should give that company the option of being able to utilize an SLS vehicle for at least one private commercial launch per year. Such commercial launches could include the deployment of private commercial microgravity or artificial gravity habitats to LEO or the deployments of habitats to the lunar surface.

3. The first test launch of the EUS for an unmanned mission should enhance the safety of the first crew launch later in the year 

4. Since the BA-330 will have more than 40 cm of shielding, that should be more than enough to effectively protect astronauts beyond the magnetosphere from the deleterious effects of heavy ions and radiation from major solar events. 

5. Lunar navigation satellites will enable NASA and the DOD to deploy payloads to the lunar poles and to communicate with astronauts on the lunar surface at the lunar poles. 



2022


SLS Launch 4: Deployment of  EUS derived  propellant producing water depot (WPD-OTV-125)  plus two ETLV-4 reusable landing spacecraft housed within the large  SLS  payload fairing .

SLS Launch 5: Second  NASA SLS/EUS crew launch of the Orion/MPCV to BA-330@EML1 

Commercial Launch:  BA-330 launched to LEO for NASA by commercial launch vehicle 

1. Beginning of water deposition to depots @ LEO and EML1 by private commercial launch companies for NASA (over 100 tonnes of water delivered to EML1 per year; over 200 tonnes of water delivered  to LEO per year)

2. After producing its own propellant at LEO,  the WPD-OTV-125 depots will transport itself and its detachable solar array to EML1

3. An  ETLV-4 vehicles will be tested unmanned, traveling from  LEO and EML1 where it will refuel to return to LEO

4. A second unmanned  ETLV-4 will also travel from LEO to EML1 but will return with astronauts aboard who initially traveled to EML1 aboard the MPCV .

5. MPCV will remain docked at the BA-330 @ EML1 as an emergency escape vessel

6. DOD astronauts will be launched to their LEO BA-330 LEO habitat by commercial crew launch vehicles 



2023

SLS Launch 6:  Deployment of OTV-125 plus  two tele-operated R-ETLV-4 to LEO (destined for the lunar poles).

SLS Launch 7: Deployment of  second  propellant producing water depot (WPD-OTV-125)  plus two more ETLV-4 reusable landing vehicles.

Commercial Launch: First ULA Vulcan launch with reusable ACES 68 upper stage (up to 40 tonnes to LEO with the addition  solid rocket boosters)

Commercial Launch:  BA-330 launched to LEO for DOD by commercial launch vehicle


1. The MPCV will no longer be used to transport astronauts to EML1. 

2. The two unmanned R-ETLV-4 vehicles will make their first landings at the lunar poles (one to the north lunar pole and the second to the south lunar pole). They will both return to EML1 with regolith samples from both lunar poles less than two weeks after landing. Crewed ETLV-4 vehicles will transport the regolith samples back to LEO and Commercial Crew vehicles will return the crew and lunar samples back to Earth. 

3. OTV-125 will be used to transport heavy SLS payloads (up to 90 tonnes) from LEO to other regions of cis-lunar space.

4. 51 years after the last crewed American lunar landings, American and foreign astronauts  will use two ETLV-4 vehicles to conduct the first crewed mission to the lunar surface, . One ETLV-4 will transport the other ETLV-4 to low lunar orbit from EML1 and then back to EML1 after the other ETLV-4 returns the crew from the lunar surface. A third ETLV-4 will transport the astronauts back to LEO where Commercial Crew vehicles will transport them back to the Earth's surface.

Two reusable ETLV-4 vehicles would be required for crewed sorties to the lunar surface from EML1 and back. But once propellant is being manufactured on the lunar surface, only one ETLV-4 vehicle will be required for missions to the moon and back to EML1.

2024

SLS Launch 8: Deployment of two CLV-7B to LEO and then transported to EML1 by reusable OTV-125: Fueled at the EML1 depot, the first CLV-7B will have an  ATHLETE robot that will deploy electric powered excavation vehicles, sintering vehicles, , backhoe, lifting crane,  to the south lunar pole. The second EML1 refueled  CLV-7B will be used to deploy  four mobile solar arrays with more than one MWe of  total electric power capacity to the South lunar pole.

SLS Launch 9: A  single  CLV-7B to orbit plus a second  OTV-125 orbital transfer vehicle plus a single CLV-7B carrying a Lunar Regolith Habitat (LRH) will be deployed to LEO. The OTV-125 will transport the CLV-7B and the LRH to EML1. Fueled at EML1, the  CLV-7B to deploy a LRH to the already sintered landing area at the lunar outpost at the South lunar pole.


Commercial Launch 1:  BA-330 launched to LEO for DOD by commercial launch vehicle and then transferred to EML1 by OTV-125

Commercial Launch 2: Cygnus/CST-100/ACES deployed to LEO by Vulcan launch vehicle for utilization as a reusable crew orbital transfer vehicle within cis-lunar space

1. Teleoperated mobile microwave robots will sinter areas for landing spacecraft, deploying solar arrays, and for habitat modules, and for propellant depots will be created  

2. Electric powered backhoes will deposit lunar regolith withing the automatically deployed regolith wall surrounding the pressurized habitat providing astronauts with radiation exposure levels less than 5 Rem per year during solar minimum conditions and protection against micrometeorites and radiation from major solar events. 

4. First NASA and DOD astronauts transferred between LEO and EML1 by private commercial  ACES-68/CST-100/Cygnus.  The use of reusable private commercial orbital transfer vehiclees will allow NASA  to use its reusable ETLV-4 vehicles exclusively for crew missions to the lunar surface from EML1.   
  
 5. Reusable teleoperated ACES-68 space vehicles could also refuel at NASA LEO depots in order to deploy satellites to GPS, geosynchronous, and polar orbits. An Delta IV heavy, for instance can only deploy a satellite weighing up 6.7 tonnes into geosynchronous orbit; but it could place four such satellites into low Earth orbit which could later be transferred to GEO by the ACES-68.
 
5. Reusable teleoperated ACES-68 vehicles could also be used to transfer duplicated military satellites to EML4 where the could be safely stored away and monitored and redeployed if a similar satellite is damaged.


2025

SLS Launch 10: Deployment of two Deep Space Habitat (DSH) to EML1 for OTV-125 deployment to EML1(NASA)  and EML4 (DOD)

SLS Launch 11: A second SLS launch will deploy a single  CLV-7B to orbit plus a second  OTV-125 orbital transfer vehicle. Transported by the OTV-125 to EML1, the fueled CLV-7B to deploy a LRH (Lunar Regolith Hab to the lunar surface.

Commercial Launch: BA-330 launched to LEO for DOD by commercial launch vehicle and then transferred to EML4 by OTV-125


1. The DSH will allow NASA to test the integrity of SLS EUS derived pressurized habitats

2. DOD operations at EML4 aboard the BA-330 and DSH will involve the repair and refueling of zombie satellites for later redeployment and the monitoring and testing  of back up satellites located at EML4. If a strategically valuable satellite is destroyed or disabled, back up satellites located at EML4 will be deployed.


2026

SLS Launch 12: SLS deployment of two WPD-LV-7A to LEO. Vehicles refuel at LEO and self deploy themselves to EML1 and then self deploy themselves to the lunar outpost. Alternatively, both vehicles could be transported to EML1 by an OTV-125 before being fueled for lunar deployment.

SLS Launch 13: SLS deploys two CLV-7B to LEO. OTV-125 transports the vehicles to EML1 where they will refuel. One CLV-7B will be carrying a mobile hydrogen tanker (MHT) derived from the 2.4 meter cryotank technology plus  four   Water Bug water extraction robots
the second  CLV-7B will carry two mobile water tankers (MWT), two mobile LOX tankers (MLT) 


1. The teleoperated Water Bugs will use microwaves to extract and store up to a tonne of water from the lunar regolith at the lunar poles. Teleoperated MWT will be used to extract the water from the Water Bugs and then deposit the water into the WPD-LV-7A propellant producing depots. 

2. Teleoperated MHT and MLT units will extract the liquid hydrogen and oxygen from the WPD-LA-7A depots in order to refuel the reusable ETLV-4, R-ETLV-4, and CLV-7B vehicles.

3. Teleoperated MWT will be used to extract the water stored at  the WPD-LV-7A in order to fill up water bags tied securely on top of the reusable CLV-7B vehicles in order to transport lunar water to the propellant producing water depots located at EML1.


 So, before the end of 2026, under this scenario, thanks to the additional DOD funding ($3 billion annually), NASA will have one BA-330 habitat at LEO and one at EML1. The DOD will also have one BA-330 at LEO, one at EML1, and one at EML4. NASA will also have a DSH at EML1 while the DOD will have a DSH at EML4. And  NASA will also have two habitat modules (LRH) at the south lunar pole, the beginning of America's permanent human presence on the surface of the Moon!

So under this scenario, before the end of 2026, the DOD will have periodically occupied microgravity outpost at LEO and EML1 while NASA will have a water storage and propellant producing  outpost at EML1 and a water producing, storage, and propellant producing  outpost at one of the lunar poles. Such a water and propellant producing extraterrestrial infrastructure should make it relatively easy for NASA to quickly and sustainably expand America's realm to the orbit of Mars, to the moons of Mars, and to the surface of Mars-- using much of the infrastructure developed for cis-lunar space and the surface of the Moon.

 The conclusion of this article (Part III: Artificial Gravity and Mars)  will be posted next week.  


 Links and References

Practical Timelines and  Funding for  Establishing  Permanent Outpost on the Moon and Mars using Propellant Producing Water Depots and SLS and Commercial Launch Capability (Part I)

Reusable Heavy Cargo and Crew Landing Vehicles for the Moon and Mars

The ULA's Future ACES Upper Stage Technology

Protecting Spacefarers from Heavy Nuclei

The Case for a US Miltary Presence at LEO and Beyond

Congress Requires NASA to Develop a Deep Space Habitat

Utilizing the SLS to Build a Cis-Lunar Highway

An SLS Launched Cargo and Crew Lunar Transportation System Utilizing an ETLV Architecture