National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Human Exploration & Operations Mission Directorate

Steve Stich

NASA Johnson Space Center

Sustainable Human Space ExplorationNASA’s Building Blocks to Mars

Earth Reliant Proving Ground Earth Independent

Missions: 6 to 12 monthsReturn: hours

Missions: 1 month up to 12 monthsReturn: days

Missions: 2 to 3 yearsReturn: months

Mastering the fundamentals

aboard the International Space Station

Developing planetary

independence by exploring

Mars, its moons, and other deep

space destinations

U.S. companies

provide affordable

access to low Earth orbit

Pushing the boundaries in cis-lunar space

The next step: traveling beyond low-Earth orbit with the Space Launch

System rocket and Orion crew capsule

2

3

VALIDATE through analysis and flights• Advanced Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP) systems to move large

masses in interplanetary space• Lunar Distant Retrograde Orbit as a staging point for large cargo

masses en route to Mars• SLS and Orion in deep space• Long duration, deep space habitation systems• Crew health and performance in a deep space environment • In-Situ Resource Utilization in micro-g • Operations with reduced logistics capability• Structures and mechanisms

• CONDUCT• EVAs in deep space with sample handling in micro-g• Integrated human and robotic mission operations• Capability Pathfinder and Strategic Knowledge Gap missions

Enabling Human Missions to Mars

PROVING GROUND OBJECTIVES

4

Learn how to break the bonds to the earthLogistics, crew health monitoring, ground-to-crew communications, etc.

5

Demonstrate the life support and monitoring systems that will take us to Mars

Delivery of Early Habitation/Exploration Augmentation Module

Near Term Proving Ground Extended Habitation

Exploration Augmentation Module (EAM)

Orion4 Crew for 30-60 Days

Logistics Resupply Module

Exploration Augmentation Module

Airlock & Docking Node

Orion

Asteroid Redirect Vehicle Exploration

Augmentation Module

23

SLS Block 1B & Mission Element Concepts Under Study

7

Mission conceptswith Universal Stage Adaptor

Cor

e St

age

/ Boo

ster

sEx

plor

atio

nU

pper

Sta

geM

issi

on E

lem

ents

Mission conceptswith 8m and 10m fairings

Orion with short-duration hab module

total mission volume = ~ 400m3

5m fairing w/roboticlunar lander & short-duration hab module

total mission volume= ~ 600m3

8m fairing with large aperture telescope

total mission volume= ~ 1200m3

10m fairing w/notional Mars payload

total mission volume= ~ 1800m3

30’ tall x 27.6’ dia

Science Missions

total mission volume = ~ 400m3

ARM Mission

total mission volume = ~ 400m3

Large/Long Gap

8

ISS and ARM Provides First Steps to Mars

Sequence

Mission