Solar Electric propulsion (SEP) is examined as a candidate transportation option for human missions to Mars. Focus is given to an Earth-escape staging concept. This concept uses a SEP system to transfer from low earth orbit (LEO) to a high-energy elliptical parking orbit (HEEPO) and a chemical propulsion system to transfer from the HEEPO to a hyperbolic escape trajectory. LEO to Earth escape performance of these combined transportation systems is comparable to that of a nuclear thermal rocket (NTR). As a result, a mass efficient non-nuclear transportation architecture with fast, 180 day, Earth-to-Mars piloted transit times is enabled.
Options for the human exploration of Mars using Solar Electric propulsion
Space technology and applications international forum -1999 ; 1999 ; Albuquerque, New Mexico (USA)
AIP Conference Proceedings ; 458 , 1 ; 1275-1280
1999-01-22
6 pages
Conference paper
Electronic Resource
English
Options for the Human Exploration of Mars Using Solar Electric Propulsion
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