Reactor power increased to 15 MW; Crew cut down to 4 640У445 (61 488 bytes)

Switch to a stationary "headlight"-shaped lander with frontal heat shield 640У441 (89 836 bytes)

In 1969, one more Martian mission project was considered. The Martian vehicle was to be assembled in low Earth orbit using a modified N1 launch vehicle (N1M). The Mars expedition system included an interplanetary orbital vehicle housing the crew and key on-board systems; a martian lander; an Earth return vehicle (to be used by the crew for descent to Earth), propulsion power plant (nuclear reactor) with electrical propulsion engines. The Martian vehicle structure was to be shaped as a long needle, which carried a reactor placed in a remote position for the purposes of radiation safety, and a conical heat rejection radiator. In contrast to the 1960 project, only one conic segment-shaped spacecraft with deployable frontal heat shield was to land on the Martian surface. The vehicle also used electrical propulsion, and the nuclear reactor power was raised to 15 MW. The total number of the crew was cut down to 4.