Space News by Jeff Foust — September 28, 2017
ADELAIDE, Australia — Lockheed Martin released an update to its Mars mission architecture Sept. 29, adding a reusable lander capable of making multiple trips between Mars orbit and the surface.
The company presented an updated version of the Mars Base Camp concept during a talk at the 68th International Astronautical Congress here, arguing that the proposal fit into growing interest in operations in cislunar space as well, including landings on the surface of the moon.
The original architecture, which the company unveiled last year, called for the development of a modular spacecraft that could carry six people into Mars orbit and back. Lockheed believed that the system, which made use of the Orion spacecraft and other elements, could be ready to send people to Mars as soon as 2028.
The company has now added to the system a lander, launched separately from the base camp spacecraft, that could transport crews from the Mars Base Camp spacecraft in orbit to the Martian surface.
More:
http://spacenews.com/lockheed-martin-adds-lander-to-mars-base-camp-concept/
