[meteorite-list] NASA Seeks Proposals for Commercial Mars Data Relay Satellites

[Ron Baalke]

July 23, 2014
     
NASA Seeks Proposals for Commercial Mars Data Relay Satellites

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 obiters 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:

http://go.nasa.gov/1kV6KYj 

For more information on NASA Mars missions, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/mars 

For information on the LADEE mission, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ladee 

-end-

Dwayne Brown
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1726
dwayne.c.brown at nasa.gov