Mars Transporter and Deep Space Habitat that will launch in the 2020s

• The Deep Space Gateway will orbit between Earth and the moon
• It will be used as a research base and stage area for future missions to Mars 
• Nasa has teamed up with six companies to develop deep space vehicles as part of its NextSTEP program 

The Deep Space Gateway will orbit between Earth and the moon and is expected to launch as early as 2020. Creators Boeing have released their vision for how the future staging area for missions to Mars will appear (artist's impression pictured)

A new generation of space stations which will allow humanity to reach out further into the universe could become a reality within the next three years.

The first base - known as the Deep Space Gateway - will orbit between Earth and the moon and is expected to launch as early as 2020.

The habitat will support critical research and open up opportunities for future exploration of deep space, as well as a return to the moon and missions to Mars.

Nasa has teamed up with six companies to develop deep space vehicles as part of its NextSTEP program.

And Boeing has now revealed its vision for the habitat and space vehicle that will allow astronauts to journey to Mars.

The Seattle-based aerospace firm's Deep Space Gateway will be launched using Nasa's Space Launch System (SLS).

The SLS is currently being put through its paces, in anticipation of its first mission in November 2018.

Mr Pete McGrath, director of global sales and marketing for Boeing's space exploration division, said: 'The ability to simultaneously launch humans and cargo on SLS would allow us to assemble the gateway in four launches in the early 2020s.'

The Gateway will use a system similar to the one which allows commercial vehicles to dock with the International Space Station.

This would allow the Deep Space Transport vehicle - which will take humans to Mars - to dock with the Gateway.

MISSION TO MARS

The Deep Space Gateway will be launched using Nasa's Space Launch System, as early as 2020.

The station will be powered by a Solar Electric Propulsion system, a new technology developed by Nasa.

It will also allow the Deep Space Transport vehicle - which will take humans to Mars - to dock with the station.

The transport vehicle would be equipped with accommodation specifically designed to protect passengers from deep space's harsh environment. 

Once near Mars, crews could deploy a lander for surface missions or conduct other scientific and robotic missions while in orbit.

The Deep Space Transport vehicle (artist's impression pictured) - which would take humans to Mars - will dock with the Gateway and allow astronauts to travel to the red planet. Once near Mars,  crews could deploy a lander for surface missions or conduct scientific research in orbit

Once near Mars, crews could deploy a lander for surface missions. It can also conduct other scientific and robotic missions while in orbit.

The transport vehicle would be equipped with accommodation specifically designed to protect passengers from deep space's harsh environment.

The Gateway itself will be powered by a Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP) system, a new technology developed by Nasa.

SEP is powered by solar arrays and uses ten times less energy than conventional rocket propulsion systems.

It has already been proven on the Dawn spacecraft - launched by Nasa in September 2007 to study two proto-planets in the asteroid belt found between Mars and Jupiter.

Nasa hopes that the SEP will be used to power future missions within our solar system, including Mars.

SOLAR ELECTRIC PROPULSION

Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP) uses solar energy from solar arrays converted into electricity.

Electricity is then used to ionize and accelerate propellant to produce thrust.

The technology could potentially increase spaceflight transportation fuel efficiency by 10 times over current chemical propulsion technology, according to Nasa.

It could also more than double thrust capability compared to current electric propulsion systems.

Shown is the HERMeS (Hall Effect Rocket with Magnetic Shielding) Technology Development Unit thruster, which has now exceeded over 1300 hours of operational wear testing in a vacuum facility at GRC. 

Magnetic shielding protects the walls of the thruster from erosion, a major breakthrough in Hall thruster design that could hold the key to long-life, reusable electric propulsion systems.