NASA is looking for potential commercial partners to support its future Mars science missions. The agency has solicited proposals for studies of commercial approaches to carrying out some aspects of Mars exploration, such as delivery of payloads and communications and imaging services.
The studies are part of NASA’s “Exploring Mars Together” strategy, which outlines the agency’s plans for robotic missions to Mars after the Mars Sample Return program. The strategy aims to leverage commercial capabilities and partnerships, in addition to conventional NASA-led missions, to advance the scientific understanding of the Red Planet.
According to SpaceNews, the studies will examine four specific design reference missions that could benefit from commercial services at Mars. They wrote:
“Delivery of small payloads of up to 20 kilograms to Mars orbit, delivery of large payloads of up to 1,250 kilograms to Mars orbit, services to provide high-resolution imaging of the Martian surface and communications relay services between Mars and Earth.“
NASA expects to have a better understanding by this summer of the cost, feasibility and technological maturity of these potential services, based on the results of the studies. The studies will also address the commercial viability and sustainability of these services, as well as the potential benefits and risks for NASA and its partners.
Some of the studies are intended to address the gaps and challenges in NASA’s current Mars infrastructure, such as the aging of the orbiters that provide data relay and imaging services. These orbiters have been in service for well beyond their prime missions and are expected to degrade over time.
NASA’s interest in commercial partnerships for Mars exploration reflects the agency’s broader shift towards a more commercialized approach to space exploration, as seen in its recent programs such as the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) and the Commercial Crew Program (CCP).
The organisation has also been collaborating with international partners, such as the European Space Agency (ESA), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to share resources and expertise for Mars exploration.
