Mars Telecommunications Orbiter

Mars Telecommunications Orbiter
Mission typePlanetary science, Mars exploration
OperatorNASA
WebsiteJPL's MTO web page at the Wayback Machine (archived 24 September 2005)
Start of mission
Launch dateTBA
RocketAtlas V(401) or a Delta-4M.
ContractorJPL
Orbital parameters
Semi-major axis5,000 km (3,106.9 mi)
  • Optical Communications Payload: - demonstrate laser communication in space
  • Narrow Angle Camera:- Support canister detection
  • Orbiting Sample Demonstration Canister: - Technology demonstration

The Mars Telecommunications Orbiter (MTO) was a planned Mars orbiter mission intended to provide better communication for Mars landers, rovers and other spacecraft on the surface of the planet.

History

The Mars Telecommunications Orbiter (MTO) was a cancelled Mars mission that was originally intended to launch in 2009 and would have established an Interplanetary Internet between Earth and Mars. The spacecraft would have arrived in a high orbit above Mars in 2010 and relayed data packets to Earth from a variety of Mars landers, rovers and orbiters for as long as ten years, at an extremely high data rate. Such a dedicated communications satellite was thought to be necessary due to the vast quantity of scientific information to be sent to Earth by landers such as the Mars Science Laboratory.

On 21 July 2005, it was announced that MTO had been canceled due to the need to support other short-term goals, including a Hubble servicing mission, Mars Exploration Rover extended mission operations, launching Mars Science Laboratory in 2009, and to prevent Earth science mission Glory from being cancelled.

The Mars Telecommunications Orbiter would have carried a Mars Laser Communication Demonstration to demonstrate laser communication in space (optical communications), instead of usual radiowaves. "Lasercom sends information using beams of light and optical elements, such as telescopes and optical amplifiers, rather than RF signals, amplifiers, and antennas." The MTO would have had two 15 W X-band radio transmitters, and two Ka-band radio transmitters (35 W operational, and 100 W experimental).

Proposed successors

After the cancellation, a broader mission was proposed as the Mars Science and Telecommunications Orbiter. However, this mission was soon criticized as lacking well-defined parameters and objectives. Another mission, the 2013 Mars Science Orbiter, had also been proposed, though it would never be carried out.

The communications capability provided by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and Mars Express science missions has proven substantial, demonstrating that dedicated relay satellites may be unnecessary in the near future. The two newest science orbiters are the MAVEN, which arrived to Mars on 21 September 2014, with an Electra transceiver; and the 2016 European ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, that also carries an Electra UHF band transceiver. However, these orbiters follow science orbits that are not designed for relay communications.[citation needed]

In 2014, there was a concern in NASA that the currently used relay satellite, Mars Odyssey, may fail, resulting in the need to press MAVEN science orbiter into use as the backup telecommunications relay, however, the highly elliptical orbit of MAVEN would limit its usefulness as a relay for operating landers on the surface.

In 2018, a Next Mars Orbiter (NeMO) was proposed by NASA. NeMO is to be a dedicated telecommunications orbiter with a robust science package, which was expected to launch in 2022. It was anticipated to employ a laser communication subsystem, that was successfully tested aboard the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) mission in 2013. This project is currently on hiatus as of 2025.

Revival

In 2025, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act allocated $700 million to develop a Mars Telecommunications Orbiter, which was subsequently renamed the Mars Telecommunications Network (MTN). The MTN will be procured through a fixed-price contact from commercial partners. NASA issued a request for proposals in May 2026. On 2 September 2026, NASA awarded a contract to Blue Origin to design, develop, integrate, launch, and operate the network. MTN is expected to be in operation in Mars by 2030.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Breidenthal, Julian C.; Edwards, Charles D.; Greenberg, Edwards; Kazz, Greg J.; Noreen, Gary K. (March 2006). "End-to-End Information System Concept for the Mars Telecommunications Orbiter". NASA JPL. hdl:2014/38660.
  2. ↑ NASA To Test Laser Communications With Mars Spacecraft; By Brian Berger, Space News, 25 May 2005.
  3. ↑ Berger, Brian (25 July 2005). "NASA Mars Telecom Orbiter Axed As Space Agency Priorities Shift". Space News. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  4. ↑ "Text of a Letter from the President to the Speaker of the House of Representatives July 15, 2005". SpaceRef. 15 July 2005. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
  5. ↑ Townes, Stephen A.; et al. "The Mars Laser Communication Demonstration" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 February 2009. Retrieved 28 April 2008.
  6. ↑ NASA (March 2006). "NASA MEPAG: Mars Science and Telecommunications Orbiter (DRAFT)".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  7. ↑ National Research Council (2006). Assessment of NASA's Mars Architecture 2007-2016. doi:10.17226/11717. ISBN 978-0-309-10273-5.
  8. ↑ Mars Science Orbiter (PDF). MEPAG. 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 March 2016.
  9. ↑ "ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO)". European Space Agency. 12 July 2012. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  10. ↑ Dan Leone (24 February 2015). "NASA Eyes New Mars Orbiter for 2022". Space News.
  11. ↑ Stephen, Clark (27 July 2014). "NASA considers commercial telecom satellites at Mars". Space Flight Now. Retrieved 23 September 2014. It is due to arrive at Mars in September, but MAVEN's planned orbit is not ideal for collecting and sending rover data.
  12. ↑ Newest NASA Mars Orbiter Demonstrates Relay Prowess. 10 November 2014.
  13. ↑ Stephen, Clark (3 March 2015). "NASA eyes ion engines for Mars orbiter launching in 2022". Space Flight Now. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  14. ↑ Leone, Dan (24 February 2015). "NASA Eyes New Mars Orbiter for 2022". Space News. Washington, DC. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
  15. ↑ Clark, Stephen (9 April 2018). "NASA is counting on long-lived Mars orbiter lasting another decade". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
  16. ↑ LADEE
  17. ↑ Berger, Eric (26 February 2026). "A non-public document reveals that science may not be prioritized on next Mars mission". Ars Technica. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
  18. ↑ Rep. Arrington, Jodey C. [R-TX-19 (4 July 2025). "Text - H.R.1 - 119th Congress (2025-2026): One Big Beautiful Bill Act". www.congress.gov. Retrieved 3 October 2025. "(iii) is selected from among the commercial proposals that— "(I) received funding from the Administration in fiscal year 2024 or 2025 for commercial design studies for Mars Sample Return; and "(II) proposed a separate, independently launched Mars telecommunication orbiter supporting an end-to-end Mars sample return mission; and "(B) which shall be delivered to the Administration not later than December 31, 2028.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  19. ↑ "NASA Selects Blue Origin as Mars Telecommunications Network Provider". NASA. 1 September 2026. Retrieved 2 September 2026.