SLS, the Gateway, and a Lunar Outpost in the Early 2030s

A human mission to Mars has long been an exploration goal of the United States and the international community, with a more recent focus on humans returning to the moon. 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. However, these aggressive goals are complicated by the need to optimize the use of government resources during a period when budgets are challenged. This paper discusses potential near-term missions that leverage Orion and SLS, as well as the Lunar Orbital Platform - Gateway, in order to establish an outpost on the lunar surface, as part of the overall campaign to eventually reach Mars. This proposed campaign of lunar surface missions will create an outpost that can then be resupplied by commercial cargo and crew providers, while SLS and Orion continue to deliver the large components needed at the Gateway to test Mars exploration systems, finally culminating in a crewed Mars mission.