Editing Mars Direct (section)

===Mars Direct and SpaceX===

With the potentially imminent advent of low-cost [[Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle|heavy lift capability]], Zubrin has posited a dramatically lower cost human Mars mission using hardware developed by [[space transport]] company [[SpaceX]].  In this simpler plan, a crew of two would be sent to Mars by a single [[Falcon Heavy]] launch, the [[Dragon spacecraft]] acting as their interplanetary cruise habitat.  Additional living space for the journey would be enabled through the use of inflatable add-on modules if required.  The problems associated with long-term weightlessness would be addressed in the same manner as the baseline Mars Direct plan, a tether between the Dragon habitat and the TMI (Trans-Mars Injection) stage acting to allow rotation of the craft.

The Dragon's heatshield characteristics could allow for a safe descent if landing rockets of sufficient power were made available.  Research at NASA's [[Ames Research Center]] has demonstrated that a robotic Dragon would be capable of a fully propulsive landing on the Martian surface.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Gonzales |first1=Andrew A. |last2=Stoker |first2=Carol R. |title=An efficient approach for Mars Sample Return using emerging commercial capabilities |journal=Acta Astronautica |date=June 2016 |volume=123 |pages=16–25 |doi=10.1016/j.actaastro.2016.02.013|pmid=27642199 |pmc=5023017 }}</ref> On the surface, the crew would have at their disposal two Dragon spacecraft with inflatable modules as habitats, two ERVs, two Mars ascent vehicles and 8 tonnes of cargo.