NASA Draws on Industry for Mars Telecommunications Network
On Thursday, NASA released a request for proposal (RFP), seeking industrial collaboration for the Mars telecommunications network.
Reliable, high-bandwidth communications are needed to relay scientific data, high-definition images and critical information during missions to Mars. The network will use high-performance Mars telecommunications orbiters on the Red Planet to support future surface, orbital, and human exploration.
This RFP builds on a draft released April 2, as well as information gathered at the accompanying industry day at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, where commercial partners provided feedback on the agency’s goals for the Mars telecommunications network.
The request seeks answers that concern both current and future operational missions. It is also seeking accommodation for the science payload to be selected by NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. Industry is invited to respond within 30 calendar days of publication, and the network is expected to be ready for operation on Mars no later than 2030.
The Mars Telecommunications Network is part of NASA’s evolving space architecture, extending continuous network services beyond Earth to the Moon and Mars. The Mars Telecommunications Network is part of NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) program’s Moon to Mars strategy and is made possible by guidance and funding provided by Congress through the Working Families Tax Cut Act.
To learn more about NASA’s deep space exploration, visit:
https://nasa.gov/esdmd
