Since 2009, a team of leading international space companies has been developing plans for future human spaceflight missions as an industry parallel to the Global Exploration Roadmap produced by the national space agencies represented in the International Space Exploration Coordination Group (ISECG). Team goal is to extend the successful cooperative relationships developed during the International Space Station program to future exploration missions beyond Low Earth Orbit. One of the possible first steps for prepares deep space missions is realization the Exploration Demonstration Technological (EDT) mission. The goal of EDT mission is assembly small size outpost in a halo orbit around the Earth-Moon Libration Point 2 (EML2) approximately 65,000 km beyond the Moon. The small size outpost could be moved to other circumlunar locations such as EML1 or a Distant Retrograde Orbit (DRO) if desired. Use of the solar electrical propulsion (SEP) would be provide effective realization of EDT missions beyond Low Earth Orbit and would be affordable, sustainable, and achievable within a decade. The analysis of implementation the high technological readiness level (TRL) solar arrays and batteries, ion thrusters, drive direct units, docking systems and other devices, showed that providing EDT mission is technical feasibility. Demonstrating of these advanced technologies can be conducted onboard the International Space Station (ISS). The small size outpost in EML2 consists of two main features - Russian-built habitable and node modules. Transportation these modules would be provided separately by SEP transfer stages and launched on existing launch vehicles (such as Atlas V, Delta or Proton). For assembly modules would be used International Docking System (IDS) for example or other advanced docking system. A Farside Research Outpost at EML2 is ambitious but achievable for all of the partner nations.
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