The Mars Ship That Chose Sunlight

Transcript

In 1991, NPO Energia proposed a crewed spacecraft for Mars, and its central trade was propulsion versus public acceptance. The study compared chemical, nuclear-thermal, and electric propulsion. It chose solar-electric propulsion, partly because the report said public opinion opposed launching nuclear power systems, a concern reinforced by Chernobyl. The proposed vehicle massed 355 metric tons. Five Energia heavy-lift launches would carry its parts to Earth orbit, where the spacecraft would be assembled. Its electric engines would use solar power, avoiding a nuclear power system at launch. The plan included a short expedition to the Martian surface, but the account here gives no further details of that expedition. The important distinction is that this was a design proposal, not a mission that flew: it shows how Energia weighed propulsion performance against opposition to launching nuclear systems.