Lockheed Martin: we plan to send people into Mars orbit by 2028
The dreams of millions of people become reality?
Image: Lockheed Martin
The plan to send people into Mars orbit was announced on May 19 by representatives of Lockheed Martin at the Humans to Mars Summit event. At the same time, the same plan was submitted by the Subcommittee on Outer Space and Aeronautics of the US House of Representatives in Washington. According to the plan, by 2028 a space laboratory with six astronauts on board will go to the orbit of the Red Planet.
')
The concept of “ Mars Base Camp ” has not yet been approved by NASA. The plan itself was developed under the NASA program presented earlier. According to the program, people should go to Mars no later than 2030. If the Lockheed Martin project is accepted, everything will be completed within the previously specified time frame. In addition, the project fits into the NASA budget. Unfortunately, Lockheed Martin did not provide technical details. Only a space laboratory has been announced that will be sent to Mars orbit with 6 astronauts aboard.
People will study rock samples, delivered by robotic stations from the satellites of the Red Planet and the surface of Mars. This will help to quickly conduct sample tests, as well as to draw conclusions "in the field."
The project is based on existing technologies or technologies that are being developed today. Sending people and cargo to the orbit of Mars will be carried out using the Orion spacecraft, as well as the Space Launch System heavy launch vehicle.
This might look like a prototype of an orbital laboratory (image: Lockheed Martin)
Inhabited modules, the design of which is also proposed by Lockheed Martin and other participants of the Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships ( NextSTEP ) program , will allow people to comfortably stay on board the space laboratory. Here people will live and work. It is also supposed to use the technology of Solar Electric Propulsion ( SEP ), which is already used in small commercial spacecraft in Earth orbit, to deliver people and cargo to Mars.
Diagram of a habitable orbital laboratory (image: Lockheed Martin)
Part of the goods will be delivered separately, part - with the team. All systems will be duplicated, including Orion, habitable modules, Solar Electric Propulsion systems. The second Orion is planned to be used to visit Phobos and Deimos, two satellites of Mars.
Project implementation plan submitted by the company (image: Lockheed Martin)
The initial implementation of the project will be carried out according to the plan presented by NASA earlier. So, in 2018, the unmanned mission Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1) will be carried out. But after this date, the plan will be accelerated. So, the mission of the EM-2 will not be a manned EM-1. Instead, construction of modules at the Moon will begin to test the technologies that are planned to be used in the framework of the Mars Base Camp project.
In the framework of the EM-3 mission, which is planned to take place in 2026, part of the cargo, including remote-controlled rovers, will be sent to Mars to wait for people. In 2027, the team will begin to carry out preflight preparation of all systems.
There may be some changes in the plan. Inhabited modules may begin to test in low earth orbit, and not in deep space. In this case, it will be possible to save some of the funds. Representatives of the US Congress noted the importance of comprehensive testing of habitable modules before sending them to Mars.
According to Congress, NASA will have to allocate at least $ 55 million to develop prototypes of habitable modules by 2018.
To send people into the orbit of Mars will have to make a lot of effort and spend large funds. But, according to representatives of the US Congress (and not only them), these efforts and costs are justified. The goal - the realization of the long-held dream of man - a manned flight to Mars.
Image: Lockheed Martin
The plan to send people into Mars orbit was announced on May 19 by representatives of Lockheed Martin at the Humans to Mars Summit event. At the same time, the same plan was submitted by the Subcommittee on Outer Space and Aeronautics of the US House of Representatives in Washington. According to the plan, by 2028 a space laboratory with six astronauts on board will go to the orbit of the Red Planet.
')
The concept of “ Mars Base Camp ” has not yet been approved by NASA. The plan itself was developed under the NASA program presented earlier. According to the program, people should go to Mars no later than 2030. If the Lockheed Martin project is accepted, everything will be completed within the previously specified time frame. In addition, the project fits into the NASA budget. Unfortunately, Lockheed Martin did not provide technical details. Only a space laboratory has been announced that will be sent to Mars orbit with 6 astronauts aboard.
People will study rock samples, delivered by robotic stations from the satellites of the Red Planet and the surface of Mars. This will help to quickly conduct sample tests, as well as to draw conclusions "in the field."
The project is based on existing technologies or technologies that are being developed today. Sending people and cargo to the orbit of Mars will be carried out using the Orion spacecraft, as well as the Space Launch System heavy launch vehicle.
This might look like a prototype of an orbital laboratory (image: Lockheed Martin)
Inhabited modules, the design of which is also proposed by Lockheed Martin and other participants of the Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships ( NextSTEP ) program , will allow people to comfortably stay on board the space laboratory. Here people will live and work. It is also supposed to use the technology of Solar Electric Propulsion ( SEP ), which is already used in small commercial spacecraft in Earth orbit, to deliver people and cargo to Mars.
Diagram of a habitable orbital laboratory (image: Lockheed Martin)
Part of the goods will be delivered separately, part - with the team. All systems will be duplicated, including Orion, habitable modules, Solar Electric Propulsion systems. The second Orion is planned to be used to visit Phobos and Deimos, two satellites of Mars.
Project implementation plan submitted by the company (image: Lockheed Martin)
The initial implementation of the project will be carried out according to the plan presented by NASA earlier. So, in 2018, the unmanned mission Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1) will be carried out. But after this date, the plan will be accelerated. So, the mission of the EM-2 will not be a manned EM-1. Instead, construction of modules at the Moon will begin to test the technologies that are planned to be used in the framework of the Mars Base Camp project.
In the framework of the EM-3 mission, which is planned to take place in 2026, part of the cargo, including remote-controlled rovers, will be sent to Mars to wait for people. In 2027, the team will begin to carry out preflight preparation of all systems.
There may be some changes in the plan. Inhabited modules may begin to test in low earth orbit, and not in deep space. In this case, it will be possible to save some of the funds. Representatives of the US Congress noted the importance of comprehensive testing of habitable modules before sending them to Mars.
According to Congress, NASA will have to allocate at least $ 55 million to develop prototypes of habitable modules by 2018.
To send people into the orbit of Mars will have to make a lot of effort and spend large funds. But, according to representatives of the US Congress (and not only them), these efforts and costs are justified. The goal - the realization of the long-held dream of man - a manned flight to Mars.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/369093/
All Articles