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NASA’s Mars relay contract kicks off a high-stakes bid race
space8 days ago

NASA’s Mars relay contract kicks off a high-stakes bid race

NASA has issued a $700 million solicitation for a Mars Telecommunications Network (Mars relay orbiter), aiming to boost Earth-Mars communications. The procurement seeks full and open competition, but bid eligibility is tied to prior involvement in a Mars Sample Return (MSR) concept, raising questions about favoritism and competition. Rocket Lab appears well positioned, with other contenders including Blue Origin, SpaceX, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and more. The episode intersects with renewed MSR debates in Congress and a tight schedule aiming to launch before the 2028 Mars window, potentially reviving MSR in some form and shaping who builds the rest of the mission architecture.

via Ars Technica|
#mars#mars-sample-return#mtn
NASA Sets 30-Day Clock to Replace Mars Relay Orbiters in $700M Push
space10 days ago

NASA Sets 30-Day Clock to Replace Mars Relay Orbiters in $700M Push

NASA issued a roughly $700 million RFP for the Mars Telecommunications Network, giving bidders just 30 days to propose commercial high‑performance relay orbiters to replace aging Mars relay satellites. The move aims to ensure continuous data links for surface missions, future sample-return hardware, and eventual crewed missions, with CubeSat payload options added to hedge against mission risk. Industry interest is expected from Rocket Lab, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Maxar, but the tight timeline underscores NASA’s urgency to avoid a data blackout before the 2030s Moon-to-Mars cadence.

via Space Daily|
#mars#mtn#nasa
NASA allocates science payload on Mars MTN relay mission
civil1 month ago

NASA allocates science payload on Mars MTN relay mission

NASA is reserving space for a small science payload on the Mars Telecommunications Network (MTN) relay spacecraft—up to 20 kilograms in a 55 by 55 by 45 cm volume, up to 60 watts, and capable of 200–1,000 megabits of data per day. The payload will be provided by NASA and could be cubesats. This follows NASA's plan to include science on MTN; a draft RFP was released April 2 with an updated industry-day briefing noting the payload requirement. The final RFP is due May 1, with proposals about a month later. MTN aims for a late-2028 launch and full Mars operation by 2030, funded by a $700 million bill; several companies, including Blue Origin and Rocket Lab, are pursuing the contract, though instruments and selection details remain undecided.

via SpaceNews|
#civil#cubesat#mars