Method for reducing the mass of fuel boarded during an interplanetary mission

摘要

The method involves launching an orbiter spacecraft (1) and another orbiter spacecraft from the Earth on interplanetary trajectories towards a target planet to be explored and a rendezvous spot, respectively, and recovering a load to be transported e.g. crew or material sample. The load to be transported is loaded onto the orbiter spacecraft (1). The orbiter spacecraft and the load are returned from the target planet to the rendezvous spot. A docking (14) of the spacecrafts is effected. The other orbiter spacecraft and the load are returned from the rendezvous spot to a terrestrial orbit.