NASA awarded Blue Origin a contract to develop a Mars Telecommunications Network, a next-generation communications system designed to support current and future Mars missions. The contract, announced Tuesday, has a maximum value of approximately $700 million.
The network will provide high-bandwidth communications and navigation services for spacecraft and rovers operating on or around Mars. Blue Origin will deliver a high-performance Mars telecommunications orbiter as part of the agreement.
The system is intended to replace or supplement existing communications infrastructure used to relay data between Mars missions and Earth. NASA has not disclosed a timeline for the orbiter's launch or full deployment of the network.
