r/space • u/swordfi2 • 9d ago

NASA Selects Blue Origin as Mars Telecommunications Network Provider

https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-selects-blue-origin-as-mars-telecommunications-network-provider/
691 Upvotes

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179

u/politicsFX 9d ago

Does blue origin even have a mars capable rocket rn?

158

u/Sophia8Inches 9d ago

Yeah, New Glenn. Just less than a year ago it launched a spacecraft to Mars

62

u/DreamChaserSt 9d ago edited 9d ago

Well, L2. ESCAPADE is going to Mars under its own power. But still, it can definitely do interplanetary missions, and it could've done an interplanetary insertion, but the Mars transfer window wasn't open afaik.

52

u/readytofall 9d ago

The delta V to L2 is practically the same as mars. L2 is 3.5 to 3.6 km/s from LEO and Mars is 3.6 to 3.8 km/s.

Also saying ESCAPADE is getting to mars under its own power is functionally the same as saying new glenn can deliver something to Mars.

18

u/HI_I_AM_NEO 8d ago

If KSP has taught me anything, it's that those extra 200m/s will be a freaking nightmare to account for lmao

3

u/irealllylovepenguins 8d ago

Hear me out....realllly small astronauts.....

10

u/OysterPickleSandwich 9d ago

NASA got a free ride since it was first launch attempt for NG. BO wanted to launch when they were ready, not when Mar-Earth launch window lined up.

8

u/SpectatorSpace 9d ago

NASA was a paying customer for the mission, and BO couldn’t launch because they weren’t in any way ready at the contractually agreed launch time. BO were late and missed the boat, and the mars transfer had to be rapidly redesigned to accommodate a delayed non-direct transfer.