The orbits of the Earth and
Mars allow us to launch about every 26 months. The NASA Reference Mission
begins with a launch of crew support equipment. Conventional chemical rockets, such as those used on the space shuttle, will probably be used to launch the
Mars rocket into low-Earth orbit. Propulsion systems being considered for the
Mars transit vehicles include nuclear thermal propulsion engines, ion engines, and variable
speed impulse magneto-plasma rocket engines. Opportunities for human crewed missions
could occur as soon as December 2011 or March 2014. It is more likely they
will occur in the 2106, 2018, or 2020 time frames, depending on the political situations and
economic conditions of the United States and Russia and on international aerospace companies in France, Japan, Canada,
and China (to name a few). An international effort could pool the resources of these
countries and others including the European Space Agency members, India, Brazil, and other
countries entering the aerospace business.
 Toward
Mars
|
