Artist rendering of commercial Mars satellites
providing communications back to Earth.
Image Credit:
NASA/JPL
NASA has issued a Request for Information (RFI) to investigate the
possibility of using commercial Mars-orbiting satellites to provide
telecommunications capabilities for future robotic missions to the Red
Planet.
“We are looking to broaden participation in the exploration of Mars to
include new models for government and commercial partnerships,” said John
Grunsfeld, associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate at the
agency’s headquarters in Washington. “Depending on the outcome, the new model
could be a vital component in future science missions and the path for humans to
Mars.”
The RFI details possible new business models that would involve NASA
contracting to purchase services from a commercial service provider, which would
own and operate one or more communication relay orbiters. The solicitation is
open to all types of organizations including U.S. industry, universities,
nonprofits, NASA centers, and federally funded research and development centers,
in addition to U.S. government and international organizations.
NASA is interested in exploring alternative models to sustain and evolve its
Mars’ communications relay infrastructure to avoid a communications gap in the
2020s. The RFI encourages innovative ideas for cost-effective approaches that
provide relay services for existing landers, as well as significantly improving
communications performance.
One possible area for improvement is laser or optical communications. NASA
successfully demonstrated laser communications technology in October 2013 with
its Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) mission. LADEE made
history using a pulsed laser beam to transmit data over 239,000 miles from the
moon to Earth at a record-breaking download rate of 622 megabits-per-second
(Mbps).
Mars landers and rovers currently transmit their science data and other
information to Earth either by a direct communication link or via orbiting
satellites acting as relay stations. The direct link is severely limited because
of mass, volume, and power limits on the rovers. To address these limits, NASA’s
Mars Exploration Program currently uses relay radios on its Mars science
orbiters. The spacecraft carry high-gain antennas and higher power transmitters
that provide very high-rate, energy-efficient links between orbiters and surface
missions as the orbiters pass overhead.
NASA currently is operating two Mars science orbiters with relay capabilities
-- Odyssey, launched in 2001, and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO),
launched in 2005. These spacecraft enable communication links from the Curiosity
and Opportunity rovers on Mars’ surface. This approach will continue with the
Sept. 21 arrival of the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN)
spacecraft, and the 2016 arrival of the European Space Agency’s ExoMars/Trace
Gas Orbiter.
“This Mars relay strategy has been extremely successful in providing the
science and engineering data returned from the Martian surface over the past
decade,” said Lisa May, lead program executive for Mars Exploration Program in
Washington.
Because NASA has launched science orbiters to Mars on a steady cadence, the
current strategy has been cost effective. However, NASA has no scheduled Mars
science orbiters after MAVEN arrives on the Red Planet in the fall. This creates
the need to identify cost-effective options to ensure continuity of reliable,
high-performance telecommunications relay services for the future.
“Looking ahead, we need to seriously explore the possibility of the
commercialization of Mars communications services,” said May. “This will offer
advantages to NASA, while also providing appropriate return-on-investment to the
service provider.”
The RFI is for planning and information purposes only. It is not to be
construed as a commitment by the government to enter into a contractual
agreement, nor will the government pay for information solicited.
To view the complete RFI, visit:
For more information on NASA Mars missions, visit:
For information on the LADEE mission, visit:
NASA
Guillermo Gonzalo Sánchez Achutegui
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