Media Information

 
 
 
Collection:
NASA Planetary Photo Journal Collection
Title:
Mars Telecommunications Orbiter, Artist's Concept
Original Caption Released with Image:
This illustration depicts a concept for NASA's Mars Telecommunications Orbiter in flight around Mars. The orbiter is in development to be the first spacecraft with a primary function of providing communication links while orbiting a foreign planet. The project's plans call for launch in September 2009, arrival at Mars in August 2010 and a mission of six to 10 years while in orbit. Mars Telecommunication Orbiter would serve as the Mars hub for an interplanetery Internet, greatly increasing the information payoff from other future Mars missions. The mission is designed to orbit Mars more than 10 times farther from the planet than orbiters dedicated primarily to science. The high-orbit design minimizes the time that Mars itself blocks the orbiter from communicating with Earth and maximizes the time that the orbiter is above the horizon -- thus capable of communications relay -- for rovers and stationary landers on Mars' surface.
Image Credit:
NASA/JPL
Produced By:
JPL
Mission:
Mars Telecommunications Orbiter (MTO)
Spacecraft:
Mars Telecommunications Orbiter (MTO)
Product Size:
5500 samples x 4000 lines
facet_what:
Earth
facet_what:
Mars
facet_what:
Mars Telecommunications Orbiter
facet_what:
MTO
facet_where:
Mars
facet_where:
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_when:
September 2009
facet_when:
August 2010
facet_when_year:
2009
facet_when_year:
2010
Image #:
PIA07500
UID:
SPD-PHOTJ-PIA07500
orignial url:
http://photojournal…
Image ID:
115142
Resolution Size:
6
Format:
JP2
Media Type:
Image
File Name:
PIA07500.jp2
Width:
5500
Height:
4000

Mars Telecommunications Orbiter, Artist's Concept