Relay communications strategies for Mars exploration through 2020

Abstract Mars exploration poses significant telecommunications challenges, including the return of large data volumes from high-resolution surface instruments, highly constrained mass, power, and energy for surface spacecraft, frequent telemetry and command sessions for supporting complex surface operations, and high-risk mission events such as entry, descent, and landing for which the capture of engineering telemetry is deemed critical. Relay telecommunication via Mars-orbiting spacecraft offers significant advantages in meeting these challenges, relative to conventional direct-to-Earth communications. NASA's Mars Global Surveyor and Mars Odyssey orbiters, along with ESA's Mars Express orbiter, represent an initial relay telecommunications infrastructure that has successfully supported the Spirit and Opportunity rovers. With the arrival of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter in 2006, this expanded relay network will provide key support to the 2007 Phoenix Lander and 2009 Mars Science Laboratory missions later this decade. Second-decade mission concepts will introduce new communications challenges; the provision of relay payloads on science orbiters provides a cost-effective means to sustain and evolve the Mars relay network.