MADV

Mars Ascent/Descent Vehicle

Mission Profile

MADV (Mars Ascent/Descent Vehicle) was a Lockheed Martin concept from around 2017 for a nuclear-thermal propulsion-enabled vehicle capable of ascending from Mars surface to orbit and potentially returning to Earth orbit or a trans-Earth trajectory, envisioned as the key transportation element for a crewed Mars surface mission. The nuclear-thermal engine would provide specific impulse roughly twice that of chemical propulsion, significantly reducing the propellant mass required for Mars ascent — the most demanding maneuver in a crewed Mars mission. MADV was presented alongside Lockheed's Mars Base Camp orbital station concept as a complete crewed Mars architecture, but was not funded for development beyond the concept study phase.