 | |
| Mission type | Planetary science, Mars exploration |
|---|---|
| Operator | NASA |
| Website | JPL's MTO web page at the Wayback Machine (archived September 24, 2005) |
| Mission duration | 1-year cruise plus 10 years in orbit (planned) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | Launch cancelled |
| Rocket | Atlas V(401) or a Delta-4M. |
| Contractor | JPL |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Semi-major axis | 5,000 km (3,106.9 mi) |
| |
The Mars Telecommunications Orbiter (MTO) was a cancelled Mars mission that was originally intended to launch in 2009 and would have established an Interplanetary Internet between Earth and Mars.[1][2] 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, rovers 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 landers such as the Mars Science Laboratory.[3]
On July 21, 2005, it was announced that MTO had been canceled due to the need to support other short-term goals, including a Hubble servicing mission, Mars Exploration Rover extended mission operations, launch Mars Science Laboratory in 2009, and to prevent Earth science mission Glory from being cancelled.[4]
- ^ Breidenthal, Julian C.; Edwards, Charles D.; Greenberg, Edwards; Kazz, Greg J.; Noreen, Gary K. (March 2006). "End-to-End Information System Concept for the Mars Telecommunications Orbiter". NASA JPL. hdl:2014/38660.
- ^ NASA To Test Laser Communications With Mars Spacecraft; By Brian Berger, Space News, 25 May 2005.
- ^ Berger, Brian (July 25, 2005). "NASA Mars Telecom Orbiter Axed As Space Agency Priorities Shift". Space News. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
- ^ Text of a Letter from the President to the Speaker of the House of Representatives July 15, 2005 | SpaceRef