Wednesday, September 2, 2026
NASA picks Blue Origin for $700M Mars comms orbiter
NASA awarded Blue Origin a firm-fixed-price contract on September 1, 2026 with a maximum potential value of about $700 million to design, develop, launch, and operate the agency's Mars Telecommunications Network. Blue Origin must deliver a high-performance Mars telecommunications orbiter, built on its Blue Ring platform, no later than December 31, 2028, with the relay network expected to be operational at Mars by 2030 to carry science data, imagery, navigation, and mission communications for spacecraft on and around the planet.
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