Boeing has revealed new concepts for the deep space gateway and transport systems that can help Nasa send manned missions to explore the Moon and Mars.

Boeing is helping to develop Nasa’s Space Launch System (SLS), which is expected to deliver the deep space gateway habitat to cislunar space near the Moon.

To be powered by a solar electric propulsion (SEP) system, the habitat could support critical research and can help open new opportunities for global government or commercial partnerships in deep space, including lunar missions.

Boeing space exploration division global sales and marketing director Pete McGrath said: “The ability to simultaneously launch humans and cargo on SLS would allow us to assemble the gateway in four launches in the early 2020s.”

The company further noted that the deep space gateway will use a docking system, which is similar to the International Space Station, to host the deep space transport vehicle that would take humans to Mars.

After it comes near to Mars, crews would be able to deploy a lander for surface missions or conduct other scientific and robotic missions in orbit.

"The ability to simultaneously launch humans and cargo on SLS would allow us to assemble the gateway in four launches in the early 2020s.”

Boeing’s new transport vehicle concept is designed to be equipped with a habitat specifically designed to protect passengers from the harsh deep space environment and its own SEP bus.

Both the gateway and transport systems concepts will be developed on the basis of Boeing’s SEP technology and hardware design from the 702 satellite family.

Boeing has already developed the systems partially as part of Nasa’s Next Space Technologies for Exploration Technologies (Next Step) programme and an ongoing high-power SEP technology development effort within Nasa Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD).

Image: Boeing deep space gateway. Photo: courtesy of Boeing.