NASA has its eyes set on 2030s with respect to its Mission to Mars and it is certainly moving ahead with great sincerity and persistence. Owing to this, the space agency, released a report about its progress and plans for the Mars mission. Apart from other long term goals, the agency gave a peek into some amazing technologies, which it plans to develop in coming years, to make the Mars Mission a reality as soon as possible. Here are our favourite five:

1. New spacesuits: The very first thing that comes to mind when talking about a space mission is the spacesuit itself. Today’s spacesuits look more like inflated balloons than proper body hugging smart suits. Considering, astronauts going to Mars will have to spend nearly a year or more on the planet involving moving and roaming around, exploring and collecting data, the suit they wear should be such that it protects them from the damaging radiations of Mars and its cold thin atmosphere while still allowing them to move around freely in order to complete their work. The researchers want to make spacesuits that are easier to get around in. They may also incorporate augmented reality, self-healing materials, and interwoven bio-monitors. NASA plans to test a next-gen spacesuit when it sends astronauts to rendezvous with a boulder during the Asteroid Redirect Mission.

2. Deep Space Habitats: If we look at the mission we really can’t expect the astronauts to go to the Mars in a rocket and cram them in an Orion capsule for three years. So NASA wants a deep space habitat that attaches to the Orion capsule to provide more living space (and a bathroom) for the astronauts on board, as well as a habitat for them to live in on Mars. Such a habitat would need to provide life support, fire prevention, and radiation protection, in addition to giving the astronauts room to exercise and do their work.

3. Huge rockets: The successor to the famous Space Shuttle is currently in making and is expected to be ready for lift off by 2018. This Space Launch System (SLS) will have the capability of carrying 70 metric tons of supplies into orbit. Later, it could send payloads of up to 130 metric tons into a trajectory towards Mars. At 382 feet tall, the SLS will eventually be thelargest launch vehicle ever built, and even more powerful than the Saturn V rockets that carried the Apollo astronauts to the Moon. “This payload capacity far exceeds the capability of current and planned commercial launch vehicles,” says the report. Along with the Orion crew capsule (also in development at NASA), the SLS could eventually carry astronauts to Mars and other deep space destinations.

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