Mars Telecommunications Orbiter

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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
Semimajor 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

NASA planned to establish a so-called "interplanetary Internet" with the launch of the Mars Telecommunications Orbiter in 2009. The spacecraft would have arrived in a high orbit above Mars in 2010 and then be used to relay 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, and to save an Earth science mission called Glory from cancellation.^[1]

[edit] See also

• Mars Science and Telecommunications Orbiter

[edit] References

[edit] 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

v • d • e Failed and cancelled missions to the planet Mars Failed at launch Marsnik program · Sputnik 22 · Sputnik 24 · Mariner 3 · Mars 1969A · Mars 1969B · Mariner 8 · Cosmos 419 · Mars 96 Failed en route Mars 1 · Zond 2 · Mars 6 · Mars 7 · Phobos 1 · Mars Observer · Nozomi · Mars Climate Orbiter · Mars Polar Lander · Deep Space 2 · Beagle 2 Cancelled Voyager (Mars) · Mars Surveyor 2001 Lander · NetLander · Mars Telecommunications Orbiter