NASA selects Blue Origin as supplier for Mars communication network
NASA awarded Blue Origin a contract worth $700 million for the construction and operation of a specialized Mars communication network to support current and future Mars exploration missions. Blue Origin expects to deliver the Mars spacecraft by the end of 2028 and put it into operation in 2030. Blue Origin will be responsible for designing, developing, integrating, launching, and operating this network as part of NASA’s broader space communication and navigation infrastructure. The architecture will include a high-performance communication spacecraft that orbits Mars, used to transmit scientific data, images, navigation information, and provide critical mission communications for spacecraft operating on the surface of Mars and its surroundings.