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NASA is developing the capabilities needed to send humans to an asteroid by 2025 and Mars in the 2030s – goals outlined in the bipartisan NASA Authorization Act of 2010 and in the U.S. National Space Policy, also issued in 2010.

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Orion is the first spacecraft built for astronauts destined for deep space since the storied Apollo missions of the 1960s and 70s. It is designed to go farther than humans have ever traveled, well beyond the moon, pushing the boundaries of spaceflight to new heights.

Orion will open the space between Earth and Mars for exploration by astronauts. This proving ground will be invaluable for testing capabilities future human Mars missions will need. The area around our moon, in particular, called cis-lunar space, is a rich environment for testing human exploration needs, like advanced spacewalking suits, navigating using gravity, and protecting astronauts from radiation and extreme temperatures.

One of Orion's early missions in the 2020s will send astronauts to explore an asteroid, which will be placed in a stable orbit around the moon using a robotic spacecraft. This Asteroid Redirect Mission will test new technologies, like Solar Electric Propulsion, which will help us send heavy cargo to Mars in advance of human missions. Astronauts aboard Orion will return to Earth with samples of the asteroid, having tested a number of collection tools and techniques we'll use in future human missions to Mars or its moons.

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Phase one is called Earth Reliant, and we're already well into it - it involves research projects carried out on the International Space Station (ISS), looking at how living in space for extended periods of time can affect the human body. Mars is about 140 times further away from Earth than the Moon is, and it's going to take us at least 150 days to get there (based on the capabilities of existing technology).

Other experiments being carried out on board the ISS at the moment cover 3D printing, advanced communications systems, and extravehicular operations. The aim is to develop technologies that enable us to go deeper into space for longer periods of time.

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"NASA will learn to conduct complex operations in a deep space environment that allows crews to return to Earth in a matter of days," says the official document. Most of this phase will be located in what's known as cislunar space, which is the space around the Moon.

On the agency's list of targets in phase two is another deep-space habitation facility to go alongside the ISS, as well as tests of the new Space Launch System (SLS). The SLS rocket and accompanying Orion spacecraft should enable us to go farther into space than ever before, and a launch has been pencilled in for 2018. Throughout phase two, NASA wants to see astronauts, space stations, and rockets reducing their reliance on Earth, although a quick trip back home will still be possible if necessary.

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Earth Independent - the name gives away what the idea is here. It includes manned missions to the Martian moons and eventually the Martian surface, and once we've set foot on the Red Planet tests and experiments can begin to figure out how best to establish life. By this stage, missions will need to be self-sustaining, with minimal reliance on people back home.

"Future Mars missions will represent a collaborative effort among NASA and its partners - a global achievement that marks a transition in humanity’s expansion as we go to Mars not just to visit, but to stay," says NASA. The first settlers will eventually need to be able to create their own fuel, water, oxygen, and building materials from the resources available on the Red Planet.

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Salamandre said:

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Good. Refugees problem solved.

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