Launch costs were high and minimizing mass sent to space was the main driver for mission design. To reduce mass, mission designs employed nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP), in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) to produce propellants for ascent from Mars and reliance on efficient recycling of gaseous and liquid wastes.

The Ohio State University is developing a new nuclear thermal propulsion system called the centrifugal nuclear thermal rocket (CNTR). Rather than solid fuel elements, this new design uses liquid uranium to heat the rocket propellant directly. The result is an engine that could be twice as efficient as conventional nuclear designs.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has unveiled a plan to send robots to Mars, a move that sounds straight out of science fiction. Musk announced on his X account that the company’s next-generation rocket, Starship, will “hopefully” embark on its first Mars ...

"This data will help inform our transition to a commercial-first approach, ultimately strengthening the infrastructure needed to support Artemis missions — and our long-term moon to Mars objectives."

A Dutch company is hoping to send a select group of brave astronauts to Mars Mar. 28, 2013— -- A Dutch start-up named Mars One is hoping to send a select group of brave astronauts on a one-way trip to the Red Planet in the year 2023 with the aim of ...

A religious watchdog in the United Arab Emirates has issued a fatwa against traveling to Mars with Dutch entrepreneur Bas Lansdorp’s project Mars One. The organization, General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments (GAIAE), has likened the voyage ...