The orbiter is proposed to be launched in September 2022 to link ground controllers with rovers and landers and extend mapping capabilities expected to be lost when the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and 2001 Mars Odyssey stop functioning.[1]
The orbiter is conceptually similar to the Mars Telecommunications Orbiter, canceled in 2005,[2] and could be a technology precursor for a future round-trip sample return mission and human expeditions to Mars.[1][4] Robert Lock is leading the concept studies for the 2022 orbiter.[1][4]
Concern in NASA is that the currently used relay satellites, 2001 Mars Odyssey and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, may stop functioning, resulting in the need to press the MAVEN science orbiter into use as a backup telecommunications relay.[1][2][5] However, the highly elliptical orbit of MAVEN will limit its usefulness as a relay for surface operations.[6][7]
Status
While NASA considers the Mars 2022 orbiter as a step toward a sample return mission and significant in maintaining the Martian communications infrastructure, maturing the concept is not part of NASA's budget and will not be until the 2017 U.S. federal budget request is announced by the White House in early 2016.[8]
^ abLock, R. E.; Bailey, Z. J.; Kowalkowski, T. D.; Nilsen, E. L.; Mattingly, R. L. (March 2014). Mars Sample Return Orbiter concepts using Solar Electric Propulsion for the post-Mars2020 decade. 2014 IEEE Aerospace Conference. March 1-8, 2014. Big Sky, Montana. doi:10.1109/AERO.2014.6836477.
^Stephen, Clark (July 27, 2014). "NASA considers commercial telecom satellites at Mars". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved September 23, 2014. It is due to arrive at Mars in September, but MAVEN's planned orbit is not ideal for collecting and sending rover data.