Blue Origin Selected by NASA to Help Build America's Mars Telecommunications Network

Blue Origin's Mars Telecommunications Orbiter will deliver high-speed, continuous coverage between Earth and Mars, laying the infrastructure foundation for science, robotic, and human exploration.

Blue Origin is honored to have been selected by NASA to develop and deliver a Mars Telecommunications Orbiter (MTO) as part of NASA's Mars Telecommunications Network (MTN), the first dedicated, high-speed communications relay network at the Red Planet. Funded by Congress through the Working Families Tax Cut Act and part of NASA's Moon to Mars strategy, this award reflects America's sustained leadership at Mars and Blue Origin's readiness to support.

What Is the Mars Telecommunications Orbiter?

MTO is built upon Blue Ring, Blue Origin's all-in-one, high-powered spacecraft currently in production at Blue's dedicated facility in Huntsville, Alabama. With hybrid solar electric and chemical (SEP-Chem) propulsion, MTO can deploy multiple payloads and deliver the science and exploration infrastructure Mars needs before humans arrive. 

"MTO is the backbone of America's Mars exploration program for the next decade and beyond and will provide the reliable communications capacity that will keep future robotic and human missions connected to each other and to Earth," said Tory Bruno, president, Blue National Security. "This awarded contract is a testament to the Blue Origin team that has been building Blue Ring with exactly this kind of mission in mind. We're ready, and so is the hardware."

Multiple Blue Ring spacecraft are already in production, sized for a rate of four vehicles per year. Software-defined radios, orbital repositioning capability, and a forward-compatible architecture ensure the network grows—from today's robotic missions to crewed Mars exploration. Each future Blue Ring vehicle will advance NASA’s MTN network and reinforce America’s leadership on Mars.

MTO will serve as a next-generation communications system, enabling reliable, high-bandwidth communications and navigation services for current and future Mars missions. The network will enable near-continuous communications between Mars assets and ground controllers on Earth, transmitting science data, imagery, navigation information, and critical mission communications for spacecraft operating on and around the planet.