A spaced-based communications concept to support Mars exploration missions
S. J. Poreda, Lt. Lawrence A. Cooper · 1988
Both the Soviet Union and the United States have expressed a desire to conduct further exploration of Mars and both sides have raised the possibility of joint Mars missions. In addition, the Japanese and European space communities have shown a willingness to take part in and share the costs of such a mission. One area where such cooperation would make a valuable and long-lasting contribution is the fielding of a permanent communications network composed of spacecraft in orbit about Mars. Such a system would enable multiple users to have continual contact with all points on the surface of Mars, as well as provide platforms for long-term and continuous surveillance of the planet. This paper reviews the communication network concept, and key elements which define this mission.