range of the baseline vehicle described above, mass ratios are similar for the NTR and NEP vehicle options. If the size is increased, the NTR and NEP stages prove to be much more effective in mass to orbit ratios for both lunar and Mars missions. 5 Conclusions Evolutionary development of permanent bases on the moon and Mars appears feasible, if we can afford them. Over a 10-20 year program like this, the launch costs always tend to predominate, so we will compare launch costs to gain insights on the relative worth of the nuclear power alternatives. Both the lunar and Martian bases require about 10 tons of equipment on the
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