posted 09-01-2026 04:22 PM               

NASA Selects Blue Origin as Mars Telecommunications Network Provider

NASA awarded Blue Origin a contract Tuesday to develop the agency's Mars Telecommunications Network, a next-generation communications system that will enable reliable, high-bandwidth communications and navigation services for current and future Mars missions.

The firm-fixed-price contract has a maximum potential value of approximately $700 million to deliver a high-performance Mars telecommunications orbiter to NASA no later than Dec. 31, 2028.

Blue Origin will design, develop, integrate, launch, and operate the network as a part of the agency's broader space communications and navigation infrastructure. The architecture will consist of a high-performance telecommunications spacecraft orbiting Mars, transmitting science data, imagery, navigation information, and critical mission communications for spacecraft operating on and around the planet.

The award marks a milestone in NASA's strategy to expand communications and navigation services beyond Earth and the Moon, establishing the foundation for sustained exploration of Mars in the coming decades.

Under the Artemis program, NASA is sending astronauts to explore the Moon and prepare for missions to Mars. Robotic missions will pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and as these missions expand, demand for data will continue to increase. To meet this need, NASA is pursuing a purpose-built network capable of supporting a growing number of missions while providing greater capacity, reliability, and operational flexibility.

The selection follows NASA's request for proposal issued in May. As the agency increasingly taps commercial partners for transportation and communications services in Earth orbit and to develop the Moon Base, the Mars Telecommunications Network initiative similarly seeks to harness private-sector capabilities while enabling NASA to focus on exploration and scientific discovery.

The network, managed by NASA's Space Communications and Navigation program, is expected to be operational at Mars by 2030 and will support both current and future missions to the Red Planet, as NASA ventures deeper into space.

posted 09-02-2026 05:04 PM               

Blue Origin Selected by NASA to Help Build America's Mars Telecommunications Network

Blue Origin is honored to have been selected by NASA to develop and deliver a Mars Telecommunications Orbiter (MTO) as part of NASA's Mars Telecommunications Network (MTN), the first dedicated, high-speed communications relay network at the Red Planet. Funded by Congress through the Working Families Tax Cut Act and part of NASA's Moon to Mars strategy, this award reflects America's sustained leadership at Mars and Blue Origin's readiness to support.

What Is the Mars Telecommunications Orbiter?

MTO is built upon Blue Ring, Blue Origin's all-in-one, high-powered spacecraft currently in production at Blue's dedicated facility in Huntsville, Alabama. With hybrid solar electric and chemical (SEP-Chem) propulsion, MTO can deploy multiple payloads and deliver the science and exploration infrastructure Mars needs before humans arrive.

"MTO is the backbone of America's Mars exploration program for the next decade and beyond and will provide the reliable communications capacity that will keep future robotic and human missions connected to each other and to Earth," said Tory Bruno, president, Blue National Security. "This awarded contract is a testament to the Blue Origin team that has been building Blue Ring with exactly this kind of mission in mind. We're ready, and so is the hardware."

Multiple Blue Ring spacecraft are already in production, sized for a rate of four vehicles per year. Software-defined radios, orbital repositioning capability, and a forward-compatible architecture ensure the network grows—from today's robotic missions to crewed Mars exploration. Each future Blue Ring vehicle will advance NASA’s MTN network and reinforce America’s leadership on Mars.

MTO will serve as a next-generation communications system, enabling reliable, high-bandwidth communications and navigation services for current and future Mars missions. The network will enable near-continuous communications between Mars assets and ground controllers on Earth, transmitting science data, imagery, navigation information, and critical mission communications for spacecraft operating on and around the planet.