Why the 1993 and 1997 Mars plans assembled differently
Where would the spacecraft be put together? The 1993 Design Reference Mission (DRM) assumed no assembly in low Earth orbit: its plan called for heavy-lift rockets, each carrying a Mars spacecraft together with its nuclear propulsion upper stage[1]. In the 1997 DRM, spacecraft and nuclear propulsion stages would launch separately, dock in Earth orbit, and then depart for Mars[2].
How would the later plan handle Mars arrival? The 1997 DRM proposed an aerobrake integrated with the spacecraft hull alongside nuclear rockets[3]. Aerobraking means passing through the upper atmosphere so air resistance slows a spacecraft, reducing the braking needed to enter orbit[4]. Both DRMs were reference plans, not flown human Mars missions[5][6].
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