SLS Evolution: Comparing Configurations Using System Exergy

A human mission to the moon and Mars is the stated space exploration goal of the United States and the international community. To achieve these goals, NASA is developing the Space Launch System (SLS) and the Orion crew capsule as key elements in the architecture for missions to the moon and Mars. SLS will continue to evolve, adding capability that will further aid the missions to the moon and Mars. This paper examines the various configurations of SLS using energy analysis.