NASA Builds a Giant Mars Rocket, at a Price

摘要

When NASA tries to put a human on Mars-a mission now set to take place sometime between 2035 and 2040-the agency plans to propel its Orion spacecraft toward the planet with the aid of the most powerful rocket in history. Prosaically named the Space Launch System (SLS), its first version is taller than the Statue of Liberty and capable of lifting 70 metric tons. Later models will catapult Orion into deep space the same way the Saturn V rocket powered Apollo to the moon decades ago. According to William Gerstenmaier, NASA's associate administrator for human exploration and operations, the SLS "will be a national asset for human exploration and science missions."