NASA officials select aerospace companies for Mars orbiter concept study
NewsJuly 18, 2016
WASHINGTON. Five U.S. aerospace companies will conduct a concept study that will span over a four-month period for a potential future NASA Mars orbiter mission, which officials say will continue key capabilities that include telecommunications and global high-resolution imaging in support of the agency?s Journey to Mars.
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, is managing the concept studies under the direction of the agency’s Mars Exploration Program. Under these contracts, the studies will address how a potential new Mars orbiter mission could provide communications, imaging, and operational capabilities. In addition to optical communications, it will also assess the possibilities for supporting additional scientific instruments and functionalities.
NASA officials selected:
- The Boeing Company in Huntington Beach, California;
- Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Denver;
- Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems in Redondo Beach, California;
- Orbital ATK in Dulles, Virginia; and
- Space Systems/Loral in Palo Alto, California.
Officials say, under the orbiter concept study, engineers would leverage solar electric propulsion technology to provide launch, mission, and orbit capabilities.
The Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group published a report on recommended science objectives for a Mars orbiter, which will provide input for assessing the feasibility of addressing these objectives.
