Boeing has taken the wraps off a new type of spaceship that could act as a half-way-house between Earth and Mars .

Called the Deep Space Gateway, it would hang about on the far side of the moon and act as a docking station for spaceships on their way to the red planet.

It would allow ships to refuel and resupply before beginning the gruelling mission to Mars.

Boeing says it hopes to launch the habitat in four different parts through NASA's powerful Space Launch System (SLS).

"The ability to simultaneously launch humans and cargo on SLS would allow us to assemble the gateway in four launches in the early 2020s," confirmed Pete McGrath, director of global sales and marketing for Boeing's space exploration division.

Using solar panels for power, the Deep Space Gateway would: "support critical research and help open opportunities for global government or commercial partnerships in deep space, including lunar missions."

The company also revealed its plans for a Deep Space Transport vehicle that would actually carry the adventurers to Mars.