NASA presented new details of plans for the exploration of the Moon and Mars
NASA presented the results of its architectural concept «Moon — Mars» 2023. The review is part of the agency's process to develop a roadmap for solar system exploration, including plans for human missions to Mars.
Approach «Moon — Mars» is based on feedback from American industry, scientists, international partners and NASA employees. The 2023 review refined the current architecture and strategies for the first manned missions to Mars and highlighted seven key decisions that must be made to successfully implement the plan to send astronauts to the Red Planet.
«Our new documentation reflects the progress we have made in defining a clear approach to research and shows how we will integrate new elements as technology and capabilities evolve, — said Katherine Koerner, deputy administrator for NASA's Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate in Washington.
Newly released documents present the 2023 architecture, a detailed technical overview of NASA's approach and process «Moon— Mars», as well as a summary and 13 documents on the most frequently encountered questions during NASA research.
«Over the past year, we have been able to clarify the process of developing the architectural concept «Luna — Mars» to unite the agency. In the coming months, we will work to fill gaps in the architecture and conduct additional reviews to make the necessary decisions that will enable human missions to Mars — noted Nujood Merancy, deputy administrator for exploration systems development at NASA.
In April 2023, NASA presented an initial architecture containing detailed information about the «Moon— Mars» and their connections with specific architectural elements. As part of this process, the agency held workshops, received feedback, and held an internal year-end architectural review in which NASA leaders discussed open issues and needs. NASA plans to continue to refine the architecture each year as it moves forward with the Artemis campaign, which envisions laying the foundation for long-term scientific exploration on the Moon and preparing for human expeditions to Mars.