Mars Telecommunications Orbiter

Mars Telecommunications Orbiter

Organization:	NASA
Major Contractors:	JPL
Mission Type:	Planetary Science, Mars Exploration
Satellite of:	Mars
Launch:	Cancelled
Launch Vehicle:	Possibly an Atlas V(401) or a Delta-4M.
End of Mission:	Cancelled
Planned Mission Duration:	1 year cruise plus 10 years on orbit
Mass:	1,800 kilograms
NSSDC ID:	Undetermined
Webpage:	JPL's MTO web page
Orbital elements
Semi-major axis:	5,000 kilometers
Eccentricity:	Unknown
Inclination:	Unknown
Orbital Period:	Unknown
Aphelion:	Unknown
Perihelion:	Unknown
Orbits:	Unknown
Planned Instruments
Electra :	Relay science data from future Mars missions
Optical Communications Payload:	Demonstrate laser communications to Earth
Narrow Angle Camera:	Support canister detection
Orbiting Sample Demonstration Canister:	Technology demonstration

The Mars Telecommunications Orbiter was a cancelled Mars mission that was originally intended to launch in 2009 and would have established an Interplanetary Internet between Earth and Mars. The spacecraft would have arrived in a high orbit above Mars in 2010 and relayed data packets to Earth from a variety of Mars landers and orbiters for as long as ten years, at an extremely high data rate. Such a dedicated communications satellite was thought to be necessary due to the vast quantity of scientific information to be sent to Earth by such landers as the Mars Science Laboratory. However, on July 21, 2005, it was announced that MTO had been cancelled due to the need to support other short-term goals, including a Hubble servicing mission, Mars Exploration Rover extended mission operations, ensuring that the Mars Science Laboratory would fly in 2009 (despite the cancellation of Mars Telecommunications Orbiter, Mars Science Laboratory is scheduled to launch in late 2011), and to save the ill-fated Earth science mission Glory from cancellation^[1](Glory was later lost in launch).

Data transfer technology

The Mars Telecommunications Orbiter was a project to demonstrate optical communications using laser, instead of usual radiowaves. "Lasercom sends information using beams of light and optical elements, such as telescopes and optical amplifiers, rather than RF signals, amplifiers, and antennas" ^[2]

Proposed successors

After the cancellation of the Telecommunications Orbiter, a broader mission was proposed as the Mars Science and Telecommunications Orbiter.^[3] However, this mission was soon criticized as lacking well-defined parameters and objectives.^[4] Another mission has since been proposed as the 2013 Mars Science Orbiter. The communications capability provided by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and Mars Express science missions has proven substantial, demonstrating that dedicated relay satellites may be unnecessary in the near future.

References

1. ^ Text of a Letter from the President to the Speaker of the House of Representatives July 15, 2005 | SpaceRef - Your Space Reference
2. ^ Townes, Stephen A. et al.. "The Mars Laser Communication Demonstration" (PDF). http://trs-new.jpl.nasa.gov/dspace/bitstream/2014/38024/1/04-0216.pdf. Retrieved April 28, 2008. 
3. ^ NASA (March 2006). "NASA MEPAG: Mars Science and Telecommunications Orbiter (DRAFT)". http://www.marstoday.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=20324. 
4. ^ NASA (2006). "Assessment of NASA's Mars Architecture 2007-2016". http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=11717&page=1. 

External links

• End-to-End Information System Concept for the Mars Telecommunications Orbiter – March, 2006 NASA JPL report describing the mission.
• NASA To Test Laser Communications With Mars Spacecraft – By Brian Berger, Space News, 25 May 2005