NASA has chosen five aerospace companies to conduct four-month concept studies for a potential future Mars orbiter mission.
This mission will continue with key capabilities including telecommunications and global high-resolution imaging in support of NASA's journey to Mars.
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
The companies selected are The Boeing Company in Huntington Beach, California; Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Denver; Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems in Redondo Beach, California; Orbital ATK in Dulles, Virginia; and Space Systems / Loral in Palo Alto, California.
NASA science mission directorate in Washington acting associate administrator Geoffrey Yoder said: "We're excited to continue planning for the next decade of Mars exploration."
These studies will address how a potential new Mars orbiter mission will be able to offer communications, imaging and operational capabilities.
Possibilities for supporting additional scientific instruments and functionalities will be assessed in addition to optical communications.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataThe orbiter concept under study will leverage use of solar electric propulsion to provide flexible launch, mission and orbit capabilities.
The Mars Exploration Programme Analysis Group, an entity intended to offer input to NASA from the Mars research science community, published a report six months ago on recommended science objectives for a Mars orbiter. These studies will offer input for assessing the feasibility of meeting the objectives.
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) located in Pasadena, California, is managing the concept studies under Mars Exploration Programme.
