Magnum (rocket)
Proposed Mars Rocket
The Magnum was a large super-heavy-lift rocket designed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center during the mid-1990s. The Magnum, which never made it past the preliminary design phase, would have been a launcher some 96 meters (315 feet) tall, on the scale of the Saturn V and was originally designed to carry a human expedition to Mars. It was to have used two strap-on side boosters, similar to the Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs), but using liquid fuel instead. Some designs had the strap-on boosters using wings and jet engines, which would enable them to fly back to the launch area after they were jettisoned in flight. The Magnum was designed to carry around 80 tons of payload into low Earth orbit (LEO).
See also
Shuttle-C
Shuttle-derived vehicle
Shuttle-Derived Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle presented 2009
National Launch System, studied from 1991 to 1993
Constellation program, developed from 2005 to 2009 - cancelled
Space Launch System, developed and built from 2010 onwards
Studied Space Shuttle Variations and Derivatives
References
External links
Information about variants of Magnum
Low Cost Large Core Vehicle Structures Assessment - final report March 1998 re Magnum Launch Vehicle and Liquid Fly Back Booster.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Magnum (rocket)” as proposed Mars Rocket. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as proposed Mars Rocket. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Dec 23, 2024. The linked authority identifier is Q4274133. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 2009, 1991, 1993 and 2005.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Magnum (rocket)”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Magnum (rocket) primary sources, Magnum (rocket) archive and Magnum research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Magnum (rocket)”?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Magnum (rocket)” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.