Deep Space Transport
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.jpg){kind=spacer} DST would comprise an Orion spacecraft and a propelled habitation module | |
| Mission type | Crewed Mars orbiter |
|---|---|
| Operator | NASA |
| Mission duration | 1–3 years |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Launch mass | 100 metric tons[1][2][3] |
| BOL mass | Habitat: 48 tons (includes 21 tons Habitat with 26.5 tons cargo[1]) Electric propulsion system: 24 tons[1] Chemical propellant: 16 tons[1] |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | Suggested shakedown: 2027[4] Potential Mars launch: 2037[5] |
| Rocket | Space Launch System (SLS) |
| Launch site | LC-39B, Kennedy Space Center |
| Transponders | |
| Band | Dual: radio and laser comm[4][6] |
| Bandwidth | Ka band[6] |
The Deep Space Transport (DST), also called Mars Transit Vehicle,[6] is a crewed interplanetary spacecraft concept by NASA to support science exploration missions to Mars of up to 1,000 days.[4][2][7] It would be composed of two elements: an Orion capsule and a propelled habitation module.[3] As of late 2019, the DST is still a concept to be studied, and NASA has not officially proposed the project in an annual U.S. federal government budget cycle.[5][8][9] The DST vehicle would have departed and returned from the cancelled Lunar Gateway to be serviced and reused for a new Mars mission.[2][10][11]
Both the Gateway and the DST would be fitted with the International Docking System Standard.[2] The DST spacecraft would comprise two elements: an Orion capsule and a habitation module[3] that would be propelled by both electric propulsion and chemical propulsion, and carry a crew of four in a medium-sized habitat.[4] The fully assembled spacecraft with the Orion capsule mated would have a mass of about 100 metric tons.[1][2][3] NASA reports that the life support module is planned to be manufactured using molds and structures developed for the SLS fuel tank;[12] it would be 8.4 m (28 ft) in diameter and 11.7 m (38 ft) in length.[12]
The habitat portion of the DST spacecraft may also be equipped with a laboratory with research instrumentation for physical sciences, electron microscopy, chemical analyses, freezers, medical research, small live animal quarters, plant growth chambers, and 3D printing.[12] External payloads might include cameras, telescopes, detectors, and a robotic arm.[12]
Its initial target for exploration is Mars (flyby or orbit), and other suggested destinations are Venus (flyby or orbit), and a sample return from a large asteroid.[13] If the DST spacecraft were to orbit Mars, it would enable opportunities for real-time remote operation of equipment on the Martian surface, such as a human-assisted Mars sample return.[13][14]
It would use a lunar flyby to build up speed and then using solar electric propulsion (SEP) it would accelerate into a heliocentric orbit. There it would complete its transit to Mars or other possible destinations. It would use chemical propulsion to enter Mars orbit. Crews could perform remote observations or depart for the surface during a 438-day window. The vehicle would depart Mars orbit via a chemical burn. It would use a mix of SEP and lunar gravity assists to recapture into Earth's sphere of influence.[15]
| Fully assembled DST | Estimated mass[1][6] (metric tons) |
|---|---|
| Orion capsule (launched separately) | 10.3 |
| Habitat | 21.9 |
| Cargo | 26.5 |
| Solar electric propulsion system including xenon propellant | 24 |
| Chemical propellant | 16 |
| Estimated total | 98.7 |
