Citation
Abstract
Today’s Mars Relay Network (MRN) represents a highly successful international collaboration between NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA). As of this report’s writing, the MRN consists of five heterogenous science orbiters, launched over the past few decades. In the years ahead, the current MRN topology is expected to change significantly. Robotic missions to Mars (on the surface as well as in orbit) are expected to increase in number, followed by dramatic increases in the data rates/volumes that will be needed in the era of Mars human exploration. This paper provides recommendations for a next-generation Mars relay orbiter to begin the process of replenishing the existing network, providing relay support to both surface and orbital relay service users in the future. It suggests capabilities that could be implemented in a single future orbiter, rather than representing a set of capabilities that could be supported by a constellation of orbiters. However, the idea of follow-on orbiters was considered.
Keywords
Details
- Volume
- 42-246
- Published
- August 15, 2026
- Pages
- 1–42
- File Size
- 2.6 MB