Mars Orion Ship in Orbit

Note the lifting body Mars Excursion Module (MEM) as depicted in contemporary drawings and designs. This was before it was known exactly how thin the Martian atmosphere was. Such a design would not be appropriate for a Martian landing, and it is likely that with more accurate information from unmanned probes, this design would have been changed to something more like the Nerva MEM, i.e. an Apollo-like capsule with an ascent stage that would be launched from the surface and dock with the orbiting Orion.

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