LUNA AND MARS FOR LESS: A MEDIUM-LIFT LAUNCH SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE FOR THE VISION FOR SPACE EXPLORATION

The current Vision for Space Exploration (VSE) requires near-term, developmentally simple manned expeditions to the moon and Mars to restore confidence in American programs of human spaceflight. Pursuant to these requirements, it may be necessary that robust, cost-sustainable mission architectures be initially de-prioritized in favor of those which – while more operationally complex – are programmatically easier to initiate with current technology. This study proposes a method of undertaking manned expeditions to the moon and Mars with existing medium-lift launch systems. In this architecture, 20-tonne high energy propulsion stages are placed individually in low-Earth orbit, where they are mated to moon or Mars-bound spacecraft and ignited at successive perigees to execute trans-planetary injections. Contrary to NASA mission plans which utilize evolved expendable launch vehicles (EELVs), this architecture does not require complex spacecraft systems integration on orbit, nor does it necessitate orbital construction beyond initial spacecraft rendezvous and docking. Most significantly, the mission architecture in this paper does not require the development of heavy-lift launch vehicles (HLLVs): highly effective yet costly prerequisites which could fatally hinde