The Community Workshops on the Affordable and Sustainable Human Exploration of Mars

Joe CassadyExecutive Director, Space

Aerojet Rocketdyne

The Goddard Memorial Symposium12 March 2015 1

Why Do Mars Plans Gather Dust?

• Sticker shock!!! (dates back to the 1960’s)

• Attempt to extend Earth-dependent architectures to Mars

• Reliance on technology breakthroughs

• Assumption of reduced launch costs

• Inability to sustain over multi-decade execution

Why “Affording Mars” Workshops?

• Many critics like to casually cite very large numbers:

“trillion dollar Mars mission”

– US policy has shied away from Mars in part because of the

perception of very high cost

– Multiple independent design studies – albeit preliminary –

support the affordability of initial human missions to Mars

• Significant involvement by broad community of

stakeholders will be critical for successful Mars

exploration

– Significant background reading, planning, and briefings

– Participants intended to be representative of stakeholder

communities

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“Affording Mars” Workshops (AM I & II)

4Formal reports available at http://www.exploremars.org/

2013 at the George Washington University

2014 at Caltech

Consensus Architecture Elements from Scenario and Architecture Group

“Split Mission” Concept Enabled by SLS-class Heavy Lift, Orion MPCV, Atmospheric

Decelerator, and High-Power SEP(Graphics: Boeing, Lockheed-Martin, NASA,

Aerojet Rocketdyne)

Priority Consensus RecommendationsFor the 2020s: A Habitation Facility “Bridge” Between ISS and the

Capability to Travel to Mars

Deep-space habitation facilities for the 2020s using ISS-based designs and components.(Courtesy: Lockheed Martin (left image), The Boeing Corporation (right image))

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Priority Consensus RecommendationsA Heavy Robotic Lander as an EDL Precursor

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Mars Sample Return as a Heavy Lander to Demonstrate EDL and ISRU Technologies.(Courtesy: ESA (top left image), NASA and JPL (lower left and right image)

Priority Consensus RecommendationsCloser Collaboration Between Scientists, Engineers, and Architects

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Scientific discovery will be a major element of human Mars exploration, which will require active participation by scientists from the start.(Courtesy: NASA and JPL; H. Thronson)

Priority Consensus RecommendationsSummary Additional Recommendations

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• Initial human missions to the surface of Mars should include elements necessary for eventual establishment of sustainable surface outposts broadly analogous to the initial phases of science-guided Antarctic exploration on Earth.

• The workshop concluded that a robotic sample return mission may be required to learn how to protect against forward and backward contamination before humans land on Mars

• Human missions to Mars orbit or the martian moons may be essential for risk reduction as immediate precursors to surface missions

• Human operations on the lunar surface, including landing, mobility, power, and environmental control and life support systems (ECLSS), are not required in advance of initial human Mars missions

Most Important: Tell The Story

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