Tag: mars-telecommunications-network
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Rocket Lab Challenges NASA’s $700 Million Mars Orbiter Award to Blue Origin
Rocket Lab filed a formal protest with the U.S. Government Accountability Office on September 11, challenging NASA’s decision to award Blue Origin a $700 million contract to develop, launch and operate the Mars Telecommunications Network. NASA selected Blue Origin on September 1 for the communications orbiter, which must be delivered by December 31, 2028 and…
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NASA Awards Blue Origin $700 Million Contract to Build First Commercial Mars Telecommunications Network
NASA has selected Blue Origin to develop and operate a next-generation Mars communications infrastructure under a contract worth up to $700 million, marking one of the agency’s most significant steps toward commercializing deep-space communications services beyond Earth orbit. The firm-fixed-price contract, announced Sept. 1, calls for Blue Origin to design, build, integrate, launch, and operate…
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A non-public document reveals that science may not be prioritized on next Mars mission
The US space agency has released a “pre-solicitation” for what is expected to be a hotly contested contract to develop a spacecraft to orbit Mars and relay communications from the red planet back to Earth. Ars covered the intrigue surrounding the spacecraft in late January, which was initiated by US Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas, as…