Trajectory options for a manned mission to Mars using a nuclear-powered electric propulsion system

The paper provides an analysis of how the trajectory plan of a manned mission to Mars affects the trajectory performance indicators such as the initial mass of the Martian vehicle and the mission duration. The reviewed trajectory plans for one-vehicle manned mission to Mars using a nuclear-powered electric propulsion system are characterized by the non-uniqueness of solutions to the problem of optimizing the Earth-Mars-Earth transit trajectory with time-constrained stay of the vehicle in the vicinity of Mars. In addition, a trajectory plan was also reviewed, which put no constraints on the time spent in the vicinity of Mars. For the trajectory plan with time-constrained stay in the vicinity of Mars the following properties were demonstrated: the ability to support two launch dates within one synodic period; in case of using direct atmospheric re-entry of the return vehicle, at moderate launch masses it is possible to reduce the duration of the transit down to that of high-thrust missions (with propulsion systems based on liquid-propellant engines or nuclear rocket engines) with similar trajectory plan.