Towards an Interplanetary Spaceship: The Potential Role of Long-Duration Deep Space Habitation and Transportation in the Evolution and Organization of Human Spaceflight and Space Exploration

摘要

The global human spaceflight and exploration community will be entering a period of transition over the next decade. This paper argues that the near-term pursuit of a first interplanetary spaceship with the potential to travel to and from Mars orbit, and the attendant development of long-duration deep space habitation and transportation capabilities, has the potential to serve as an effective organizing focus during this period. The argument has three main points; that the current human spaceflight workforce is best positioned for a focus on long-duration deep space human spaceflight development; that long-duration deep space human spaceflight presents a number of engaging mission opportunities with a minimum set of hardware elements; and that long-duration deep space human spaceflight systems will be required for human transportation to Mars, and eventually to habitable worlds around other star systems.