NASA Draws on Industry for Mars Telecommunications Network – NASA (.gov)

NASA issued a Request for Proposal on May 14, 2026, seeking industry collaboration to develop the Mars Telecommunications Network. The initiative aims to establish a high-performance communications infrastructure at the Red Planet to support future orbital, surface, and human exploration missions.

The network is designed to provide reliable, high-bandwidth communications necessary for the relay of critical information, high-definition imagery, and science data. According to NASA, the infrastructure will utilize high-performance Mars telecommunications orbiters to maintain these connectivity standards.

This procurement effort is a component of the Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Program’s Moon to Mars strategy. The strategy focuses on extending continuous network services beyond Earth to facilitate deep space exploration. The Mars Telecommunications Network specifically supports the requirements of a Mars sample return mission alongside other future exploration goals.

The request for proposals follows a draft released on April 2, 2026, and incorporates feedback gathered during an industry day hosted at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. During that event, commercial partners provided input on the agency’s objectives for the network.

Industry respondents have 30 calendar days from the posting date to submit their proposals. The solicitation seeks solutions that address both current and future operational missions. The RFP includes a requirement for a science payload accommodation, which will be selected by NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.

The project is funded through direction provided by Congress in the Working Families Tax Cut Act. NASA has set a deadline for the network to be fully operational at Mars no later than 2030.

The technical scope of the requirement encompasses the design, development, integration, and launch of the system, as well as the management of continuous on-orbit communications.