Editing Mars Direct (section)

===Launch Vehicle===

The plan involves several launches making use of heavy-lift boosters of similar size to the [[Saturn V]] used for the [[Apollo program|Apollo]] missions, which would potentially be derived from [[Space Shuttle]] components.  This proposed rocket is dubbed "Ares", which would use space shuttle [[Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster|Advanced Solid Rocket Boosters]], a modified shuttle external tank, and a new Lox/LH2 third stage for the [[trans-Mars injection]] of the payload.  Ares would put 121 tonnes into a 300&nbsp;km circular orbit, and boost 47 tonnes toward Mars.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/areirect.htm |title= Ares Mars Direct |author= Mark Wade |access-date= 1 September 2012 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121005031318/http://astronautix.com/lvs/areirect.htm |archive-date= 5 October 2012 }}</ref>