NASA shift sparks competition to build the communications pipeline to Mars

NASA

NASA is changing the way it handles deep space communications, and the shift has triggered a competitive race among aerospace companies to deliver the next generation of connectivity to Mars. For decades, the agency relied on its own fleet of relay orbiters and spacecraft to ferry data from rovers and landers back to Earth. Now, it is moving towards purchasing connectivity as a service: similar to the approach it takes for launch services and astronaut transport.

The change will see a mix of NASA-owned infrastructure and commercially operated systems gradually replacing the ageing patchwork of orbiters currently serving as the backbone of Mars communications. Today, spacecraft such as the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and MAVEN collect data from surface missions and relay it to Earth via NASA’s Deep Space Network (DSN), a global array of massive antennas. While these relay spacecraft remain operational, they were never intended to function indefinitely. NASA’s most recent senior review of planetary missions highlights MAVEN’s critical role and includes measures to extend its availability into the early 2030s, but the hardware will inevitably degrade.

To prepare for that future, NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) program has issued a request for proposals seeking capability studies rather than immediate hardware contracts. Released in July, the RFP outlines a vision for an interoperable marketplace where NASA would be just one of many customers, rather than the sole operator. The scope covers two key objectives: establishing a “lunar trunkline” between the moon and Earth, and building an end-to-end Mars communications system capable of moving data from surface assets, through Mars orbit, and back to mission control on Earth.

Any solution will need to overcome formidable technical challenges, from the long delays inherent in Mars-Earth transmissions to solar interference, narrow communication windows, and the need for highly reliable, fault-tolerant systems.

Several major players are already positioning themselves in this emerging market. Blue Origin has revealed its Mars Telecommunications Orbiter, based on its Blue Ring platform, designed to support NASA missions from as early as 2028. Rocket Lab has proposed its own Mars telecom orbiter, which it says could play a crucial role in the Mars Sample Return campaign. In 2024, NASA’s Mars Exploration Program also funded 12 short commercial service studies, including relay concepts from SpaceX, Lockheed Martin, and Blue Origin. SpaceX’s approach involves adapting its Starlink satellite technology for use around Mars.

NASA’s long-term vision goes beyond science-driven exploration, aiming instead to build the infrastructure necessary for a lasting human presence on the moon and, eventually, on Mars. The communications pipeline will be central to that mission — and the race to construct it has already begun.