M., “ Trajectories for Human Missions to Mars, Part 1: Impulsive Transfers,” Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets, Vol. 43, No. 5, 2006, pp. 1035–1042. The shortest Earth-to-Mars transfer time that could be expected for missions with a large enough payload mass was found to be about 120 days, compared to 180 days with chemical propulsion. The results obtained define the limits to improvements that could be obtained in the medium term, using power-generation technologies that, while challenging, are frequently considered as reasonably optimistic, for example using a high-temperature Brayton or Rankine conversion cycle. A very fast Earth-to-Mars transfer in less than six weeks appears to be unrealistic in the medium term because it depends on a hypothetical breakthrough with the nuclear electric power source, requiring a specific mass that would typically be less than 1 kg / kW. The study quantified the importance of the specific mass of the power and propulsion system with regard to the objective of a fast transfer.
NUCLEAR TIME TO MARS SERIES
The study involved a multidisciplinary analysis combining general performance calculations for power-limited systems, an analysis of a nuclear power source that might be available in the future, and a series of mission analyses, including trajectory optimization. The aim of this paper is to investigate the feasibility of an Earth-to-Mars transfer with reduced transfer time using a high-power electric propulsion system.
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