A significant decision brewing at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC, is about to reach a critical point. The agency must select the next spacecraft for Mars, a move that will shape the exploration of the red planet over the next decade.
There's a consensus that NASA urgently needs a new spacecraft to maintain communication between Mars and Earth, a need intensified by the recent loss of the MAVEN spacecraft. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, NASA’s most reliable communications relay, has been in operation for two decades.
Reflecting the importance of this issue, the US Congress added $700 million for a 'Mars Telecommunications Orbiter' in the supplemental funding given to NASA under the 'One Big Beautiful Bill' last year.
While this funding is substantial for purely a telecom orbiter, there are additional complexities. The bill, spearheaded by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, includes specific language about the spacecraft's selection criteria. It necessitates choosing from companies that received funding in fiscal years 2024 or 2025 for commercial design studies related to Mars Sample Return, and proposed an independently launched Mars telecommunication orbiter to aid Mars sample return missions.
This commercial design study requirement seems tailored to companies suggesting more efficient Mars sample retrieval missions, such as Rocket Lab, according to several sources.
Moreover, the Cruz-led bill’s allocation of $700 million for the spacecraft and launch has been viewed as excessive. According to an industry insider, 'A $500 million budget is ample for a communications payload, satellite bus, and launch, possibly covering the costs for well below that figure.'