Based on the company’s existing Blue Ring platform, the Mars Telecommunications Orbiter (MTO) is designed to meet both current and future needs for robotic and human exploration, building on Blue Origin’s earlier Mars Next-Generation Relay and Mars Sample Return proposals.
The system will provide multiple steerable high-rate links, supplemented by a broad beam for wide-area coverage. To extend support to legacy assets and future entry, descent and landing demonstrations, a small number of deployable ultra-high frequency relay satellites will operate in low Mars orbit.
The MTO incorporates hybrid electric and chemical propulsion, enhancing manoeuvrability and significantly expanding launch window opportunities.
By combining chemical thrust with solar electric propulsion, the spacecraft can reach Mars under challenging conditions while carrying more payload mass over 1,000 kilograms to Mars orbit, depending on mission requirements.
Blue Origin says the platform will also feature edge processing, data storage and artificial intelligence capabilities to meet evolving Mars science and exploration needs.
Company representatives have positioned the MTO as a cost-effective, flexible communications solution that will reduce mission risk and support NASA’s long-term exploration strategy.
Blue Origin has leveraged the company’s Blue Ring technology to maximise the commonality and reliability, while minimising costs to field the MTO. Blue Ring is a high-powered, all-in-one spacecraft combining hybrid solar-electric and chemical propulsion to deliver exceptional manoeuvrability, versatility and payload capacity, all at significantly reduced mission costs.
Designed to manoeuvre, host and deploy payloads and infrastructure, it can operate in Earth orbit, on the moon, at Mars, throughout interplanetary space, and around near-Earth asteroids.
Blue Ring represents a step-change in how the space industry can deliver systems, infrastructure and services, supporting both robotic missions and future human exploration.