NASA has issued a final request for proposals (RFP) for the Mars Telecommunications Network (MTN), a system intended to provide communications relay for future Mars missions. The RFP, posted on the federal contracting portal, gives prospective contractors 30 days to respond, with proposals due by June 15. NASA expects to award a contract by October 1.
Scope and Funding
The MTN program is estimated to be worth approximately $700 million. It is funded by the 2024 budget reconciliation act, which allocated the funding for a Mars telecommunications orbiter to be ready by the end of 2028. The new orbiters will also accommodate a 20-kilogram science payload measuring 55 by 55 by 45 centimeters and using 60 watts of power, including for CubeSats.
Background and Need
The current relay capacity relies on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and MAVEN, both of which are beyond their design lives, plus the European Space Agency's Trace Gas Orbiter. The Moon to Mars architecture plans for regular hardware missions to Mars by the early 2030s, requiring modern relay capabilities.
Eligibility Requirements
The budget reconciliation act directed NASA to limit eligibility to companies that meet specific criteria. Eligible companies must:
- Have received funding in fiscal years 2024 or 2025 for Mars sample return commercial design studies, and
- As part of those studies, proposed a separate, independently launched Mars telecommunications orbiter supporting an end-to-end Mars sample return mission.
A draft RFP, released April 2, stated that the acquisition would be a full and open competition without explicitly mentioning the statutory eligibility requirements. The final RFP maintains that it is a full and open competition but includes the eligibility requirements linked to the budget reconciliation act.
Eight companies participated in the commercial Mars sample return studies: Blue Origin, L3Harris, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Rocket Lab, SpaceX, Quantum Space, and Whittinghill Aerospace. NASA has not disclosed which of those companies included telecom orbiters in their studies.
Timeline and Considerations
The contract award is expected around 2026, with delivery by 2030. A four-year timeline for design, build, launch, cruise, and orbit insertion is considered fast for a Mars spacecraft. Commercial providers have not yet flown to Mars independently, and schedule slips have been observed in other NASA programs. Likely potential bidders include Rocket Lab, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Maxar.