Mars Telecommunications Orbiter: Interplanetary Broadband

space.com ^ | 05/05/05 | Bill Christensen

[KevinDavis]

Lockheed Martin Space Systems is expected to land a $500 million contract to build the Mars Telecommunication Orbiter, said Roger Gibbs, MTO project manager at JPL in Pasadena, California. The MTO is intended by NASA to pioneer the use of lasers in planet-to-planet communication; the intended launch date will be sometime in 2009.

The Mars Telecommunication Orbiter will be the first interplanetary spacecraft whose main mission is to provide communications services to other missions. It will orbit Mars at a higher altitude than most orbiters, about 2,800 miles above the Martian surface. This will provide an enhanced line of site to Earth. The spacecraft will communicate with Earth via two radio bands and a new optical communications terminal, which will demonstrate the use of a near-infrared laser beam for interplanetary communications.

[NCC-1701]

Well I can see where that will be a problem. It'll take all of us back to the days of dial-up with slow modems. I'll get Engineer Scott to work the problem.

[KevinDavis]

It is going to be slow at first.. Going to be slow looking at naked martian chicks...

[cripplecreek]

"Now if only we had someone there to talk to."

[NCC-1701]

And that CAN NOT be permitted to happen.

[KevinDavis]

You mean slow downloads of naked Martian chicks??

[demlosers]

A new domain .mars

FreeRepublic.mars :)

[demlosers]

"Going to be slow looking at naked martian chicks..."

[demlosers]

Yeah, do us a favor, and invent subspace communications. ;^)

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Someone needs to develop a hyper speed protocol that allows transmission of information faster than the speed of light.

Yeah, my thoughts, too. That 250 second delay at opposition (1250 at conjunction) is really a drag.

[FierceDraka]

Someone needs to develop a hyper speed protocol that allows transmission of information faster than the speed of light.

If anyone ever figures out how to generate microscopic wormholes, FTL communications (as well as real-time control over orbiters, rovers, etc) will become possible.

[Arkie2]

Captain James T Kirk would!