NASA opens final bid round for Mars telecom relay orbiter
NASA has released the final RFP for the Mars Telecommunications Network (MTN), inviting proposals by June 15 and aiming to award a contract by Oct. 1. The MTN would be a Mars communications relay orbiter funded with about $700 million from the budget reconciliation act and targeted for readiness by 2028, with a payload allowance around 20 kg (55 x 55 x 45 cm) and 60 watts of power. Eligibility is limited to companies that participated in 2024–25 Mars sample return commercial studies; eight firms did (Blue Origin, L3Harris, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Rocket Lab, SpaceX, Quantum Space, Whittinghill Aerospace), though NASA has not disclosed which included telecom orbiter concepts. Blue Origin and SpaceX have been vocal proponents of a Mars telecom orbiter.
