NASA has approved SpaceX’s proposal to develop a concept for utilizing its Starlink broadband satellites within a communication network on Mars. This initiative is part of a broader selection of projects that have secured NASA funding for preliminary studies. These studies aim to contribute to NASA’s objectives, which include returning Martian samples to Earth for detailed analysis. In total, proposals from nine different companies, including major aerospace firms such as Blue Origin, Lockheed Martin, and United Launch Alliance, as well as emerging players like Astrobotic, Firefly Aerospace, Impulse Space, Albedo Space, and Redwire Space, have been accepted.
Each selected project will receive funding ranging from $200,000 to $300,000 to prepare detailed reports by August. While these studies might pave the way for subsequent requests for proposals from NASA, the agency has not yet committed to any specific follow-up actions.
Eric Ianson, who heads NASA’s Mars Exploration Program, emphasized the timeliness of these partnerships. “We’re in an exciting new era of space exploration, where commercial ventures are rapidly expanding their capabilities,” he said in a press release. “This is an opportune moment for NASA to explore how collaborations with the private sector could enhance scientific endeavors on Mars in future decades.”
SpaceX has long been vocal about its plans to incorporate Starlink satellites into Martian orbit, aligning with CEO Elon Musk’s broader vision of establishing a sustainable human presence on multiple planets. In a 2020 interview with Time magazine, SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell highlighted the critical need for connectivity in support of Musk’s plans for Martian colonization.
Shotwell explained the necessity of robust communication systems for Mars, stating, “Once we start sending people to Mars, they will require reliable communication systems. A satellite constellation like Starlink could be even more crucial there, and we’ll also need to establish strong communication links between Mars and Earth.”
Expanding on this, Musk detailed his vision at the International Astronautical Congress held in Azerbaijan last October, suggesting a laser relay system for Mars that could eventually support extremely high data transfer rates between Earth and Mars, potentially reaching terabit or even petabit levels.
This ambitious vision also aligns with NASA’s current needs to upgrade its aging Martian communication infrastructure, which includes satellites some of which have been in operation for nearly two and a half decades. Meanwhile, NASA continues to focus on its ambitious plan to retrieve Martian samples collected by the Perseverance rover, recently announcing a strategic revision aimed at cost reduction, leveraging new technological advancements from the private sector.
Among the other participants, Blue Origin is exploring adaptations of its Blue Ring transfer vehicle for both payload delivery to Mars and advanced relay operations. On social media, Blue Origin expressed enthusiasm about its role in these futuristic NASA-led Mars initiatives, highlighting the potential of its Blue Ring platform to facilitate the delivery and hosting of large payloads and enhance next-generation relay capabilities.
Here are the other companies on NASA’s list, and the subjects of their studies:
- Albedo Space: How to adapt an imaging satellite originally meant for low Earth orbit to provide Mars surface imaging.
- Astrobotic Technology: How to modify a lunar-exploration spacecraft for large payload delivery and hosting services. Also, how to modify a lunar-exploration spacecraft for Mars surface imaging.
- Firefly Aerospace: How to adapt a lunar-exploration spacecraft for small payload delivery and hosting services.
- Impulse Space: How to adapt its Helios space tug to provide small payload delivery and hosting for Mars missions.
- Lockheed Martin: How to adapt a lunar-exploration spacecraft for small payload delivery and hosting. Also, how to provide communication relay services for Mars with a spacecraft originally meant for use in the vicinity of Earth and the moon.
- Redwire Space: How to modify a commercial imaging spacecraft originally meant for low Earth orbit to provide Mars surface-imaging services.
- United Launch Alliance (through United Launch Services): How to modify an Earth-vicinity cryogenic upper stage to provide large payload delivery and hosting services.
