Boeing recently unveiled concepts for the deep space gateway and transport systems, helping NASA achieve extensive human space exploration from the moon to Mars.
NASA’s Space Launch System, a program Boeing is helping to develop, would help deliver the Deep Space Gateway habitat to cislunar space near the Moon. The Deep Space Gateway habitat, powered by a Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP) system, would have the ability to support critical research, opening opportunities for global government or commercial partnerships in deep space.
“The ability to simultaneously launch humans and cargo on SLS would allow us to assemble the gateway in four launches in the early 2020s,” Pete McGrath, director of global sales and marketing for Boeing’s space exploration division, said.
Boeing’s concepts for the Deep Space Gateway could make it the waypoint for future Mars missions by utilizing the docking system as a host for the Deep Space Transport vehicle, which would take humans to Mars. The transport vehicle would have its own habitat specifically designed for passenger protection and contain its own SEP bus.
The gateway and transport systems are partially being developed as part of NASA’s Next Space Technologies for Exploration Technologies program and an ongoing High Power SEP technology development effort within the NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate.