Lockheed Martin’s Mars Base Camp To Send Humans To The Red Planet In 2028

Mars Base Camp is about to set up a laboratory in Mars orbit by the year 2028, which will be manned by six astronauts. This is part of Lockheed Martin's vision of orbiting the planet, as it launches a spacecraft that can make it possible. To date, NASA has drafted the initial steps to Mars, creating a heavy-lift rocket named Space Launch System or SLS and partnering with Lockheed to develop the Orion crew capsule. Both will be launched unmanned in 2018 and later in 2023 to bring astronauts in space, beyond the moon.

Orbiting Mars is a much needed precursor to bringing humans on the surface. According to chief technologist for the civil space mission Tony Antonelli, NASA has included this in their plans, and that they are putting in more details.  While NASA did not authorize Lockheed to conceptualize the idea of a Base Camp, the company remains hopeful that the space agency would take account of the design as it aims to reinforce the plans of a Mars landing in either the 2030s or 2040s.

Mars Base Camp will depend on the near-term technologies, or equipments that have been tried and tested before or are still being developed. As stated by Lockheed, there will be no magnetic shields or suspended animation pods on the spacecraft. He said that every piece of equipment to be used are still being used today, yet not brand new since they opt to utilize what they already have right now, PR News Wire reported.

The Orion will be providing the vessel's brain, communications and navigation. An Orion back up vehicle will also be provided to make sure that there is a getaway option if the crew will encounter any problem. Also, the two Orion capsules will connect the laboratory modules and the larger habitat, which is now being developed by Lockheed, including the solar panels for the power.

Orbiting Mars could help locate a landing area for the first humans on the Red planet, and might even provide an opportunity to search for life. As suggested by Lockheed, soil samples  may be brought to the laboratory for evaluation, according to News.