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The spacecraft

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The crew would need protecting from the rigours of a nine month journey. Long periods of weightlessness cause bone loss and muscle wastage so the craft is designed to create its own artificial gravity by spinning through space. Shields would lessen, but could not eliminate, the threat of solar and cosmic radiation.

At take-off, the crew are in the lander vehicle but once in Earth orbit they would move into the cruise vehicle. The two vehicles would then separate, remaining joined by a steel cable. Short thruster bursts from both vehicles would send the craft spinning head over heels, creating artificial gravity similar to that on Earth.

The tether is a 60-metre steel cable which attaches the cruise and lander vehicles, allowing them to rotate around an axis. In the event of a major solar flare, the crew would wind in the tether and point the lander's heat shield towards the Sun to protect themselves from as much radiation as possible in the cruise vehicle.

Once the craft reaches Martian orbit, the two vehicles would rejoin and the crew would move back into the lander. This would then descend to the surface of Mars, using the heat shield to moderate its speed and prevent burn-up. Parachutes would deploy to further slow the lander and thrusters would guide it down.