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Relay Support for the Mars Science Laboratory and the Coming Decade of Mars Relay Network EvolutionIn the past decade, an evolving network of Mars relay orbiters has provided telecommunication relay services to the Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, and to the Mars Phoenix Lander, enabling high-bandwidth, energy-efficient data transfer and greatly increasing the volume of science data that can be returned from the Martian surface, compared to conventional direct-to-Earth links. The current relay network, consisting of NASA's Odyssey and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and augmented by ESA's Mars Express Orbiter, stands ready to support the Mars Science Laboratory, scheduled to arrive at Mars on Aug 6, 2012, with new capabilities enabled by the Electra and Electra-Lite transceivers carried by MRO and MSL, respectively. The MAVEN orbiter, planned for launch in 2013, and the ExoMars/Trace Gas Orbiter, planned for launch in 2016, will replenish the on-orbit relay network as the current orbiter approach their end of life. Currently planned support scenarios for this future relay network include an ESA EDL Demonstrator Module deployed by the 2016 ExoMars/TGO orbiter, and the 2018 NASA/ESA Joint Rover, representing the first step in a multimission Mars Sample Return campaign.
Document ID
20150008785
Acquisition Source
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Document Type
Conference Paper
External Source(s)
Authors
Edwards, Charles D., Jr.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Arnold, Bradford W.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Bell, David J.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Bruvold, Kristoffer N.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Gladden, Roy E.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Ilott, Peter A.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Lee, Charles H.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
May 26, 2015
Publication Date
March 3, 2012
Subject Category
Space Communications, Spacecraft Communications, Command And Tracking
Lunar And Planetary Science And Exploration
Meeting Information
Meeting: 2012 IEEE Aerospace Conference
Location: Big Sky, MT
Country: United States
Start Date: March 3, 2012
End Date: March 10, 2012
Sponsors: American Inst. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Prognostics and Health Management Society (PHM), Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other
Keywords
MAVEN
UHF
ExoMars/Trace Gas Orbiter
2018 Mars Rover
Telecommunications

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