Introducing the Project Sisyphus team:
Tom Skahen, Garrett Ailts, Kate Kwiecinski, Shivani Mahajan, Devin McGee, David Richardson, Sam Somrock, John Weyrauch, Chris Regan
Project Sisyphus proposes a low-cost manned mission to Mars using present and near-future technologies.
NASA’s Space Launch System will be assisted by Space X’s Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launch vehicles to assemble the Martian Transfer Vehicle, or MTV.
Three landers will be joined with the MTV Docking module and transferred to a lunar orbit using a commercial orbital tug.
The MTV consists of the docking module, Bigelow Aerospace’s B330 inflatable habitat, a centrifugal artificial gravity system, and the propulsion module.
These systems as well as additional fuel and the crewed Orion will be launched directly to the moon to finish the construction of the MTV.
The fully crewed MTV will then embark on a fast and efficient 190 day transfer to Mars.
Two landers containing the surface habitat and Mars Ascent Vehicle, or MAV, will utilize HIADs to descend safely to the surface.
Bolstered against the atrophy of zero-gravity travel, two members of the MTV crew will descend a day later, secured in the cabin of the Off Earth Tracked Rover, or OETR for short.
The OETR uses independent tracks to maneuver with accuracy, precision, and speed over the Mars surface.
Equipped with a crane, bucket, drill, and hammer, the OETR will use its wide suite of tools to enable the deployment of home base and the ongoing science missions.
The Buildable Nested Deployable Habitat, or BuNDTHab utilizes inflatable technology to minimize volume and mass usage.
The surface crew will leverage the utility of the OETR to deploy the rigid elements of the base structure, deploying a tough, functional habitat with minimal construction work.
On the surface, the astronauts will gather samples, using the reduced scientific suite of the OETR to inform in-situ sample gathering.
Experimental equipment testing In-Situ Resource Utilization and deploying weather balloons will also inform the efforts of future missions.
Crew on the MTV will support ground operations through study of the site from above as well as technical and logistical support.
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