Earth-to-orbit launch for vehicles for manned Mars mission application

摘要

Manned Mars missions (MMMs) will require payloads to low Earth orbit (LEO) much heavier and larger than can be accommodated with the Shuttle. Three typical launch vehicles are described that could possibly satisfy the MMM needs. The vehicle concepts include Shuttle Derived Vehicles (SDVs), which are composed essentially of Shuttle components, and Heavy Lift Launch Vehicles (HLLVs), which utilize new and improved technologies and require additional development.