Mars Ascent Vehicle; Who Defines Mars Exploration? Interpretive Flexibility and the Social Construction of Space Exploration Infrastructure 5 views

Human spaceflight has long been one of engineering’s most ambitious pursuits. In the early 21st century, however, the Artemis Program renewed plans to send humans back to extraterrestrial bodies, first returning to the Moon, then eventually Mars. A central challenge in crewed Mars exploration is the design of safe and feasible transportation systems that can return astronauts from the Martian surface safely to Earth. Unlike lunar missions, Mars requires far more robust systems across farther distances and longer timelines. One proposed solution is a split architecture involving a Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV) that transports astronauts from the Martian surface into orbit, where it rendezvous with a separate Earth Return Vehicle for the journey home. This architecture is shaped by an evolving space exploration landscape in which NASA increasingly shares mission design and execution responsibilities with private aerospace companies. As commercial actors take on a larger role in launch capability and spacecraft development, they also introduce distinct priorities and interpretations of what Mars exploration should achieve. Unlike NASA, which prioritizes safety and scientific discovery, private space companies such as SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, frame Mars as a site for long-term human settlement and the future sustainability of civilization. Therefore, the challenge of enabling human Mars exploration can be understood as a coupled sociotechnical problem that asks: How do NASA and private space companies frame the purpose and value of space exploration, and what does it reveal about the sociotechnical forces shaping future Mars infrastructure and mission architecture?

BS (Bachelor of Science)

Mars; Space Contracting; SpaceX and NASA

School of Engineering and Applied Science Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering Technical Advisor: Michael Mcpherson STS Advisor: Kent Wayland Technical Team Members: Craig Kalkwarf, Mariam Leweed, David Truong, Nayeon Son, Anne Marie Branch, Amen Alemu, Matthew Herring

English

2026-05-07