Kurt J. Hack

TL;DR: In this paper, multiple solar electric propulsion technology demonstration mission concepts were developed to assess vehicle performance and estimated mission cost, ranging from a 10,000-kilogram spacecraft capable of delivering 4000 kilogram of payload to one of the Earth Moon Lagrange points in support of future human-crewed outposts to a 180 kilogram spacecraft that performed an asteroid rendezvous mission after launching to a geostationary transfer orbit as a secondary payload.

TL;DR: In this article, the authors describe the benefits of the Asteroid Redirect Mission as an early mission in deep space, demonstrating solar electric propulsion, deep space robotics, ground and on-board navigation, docking, and EVA.

TL;DR: In this paper, trajectory analysis of a representative low thrust, high power Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP) vehicle to move a mass around cis-lunar space in the range of 20 to 40 kW power to the electric propulsion (EP) system is presented.

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated potential translunar excursion concepts to take place in the 2020s that would be used to test and demonstrate long duration life support and other systems needed for eventual Mars missions in the 2030s.