The U.S. is beginning an $800-million project to create an information technology infrastructure at Mars. This will be essentially a Martian internet where robotic spacecraft will conduct high-data-rate exchanges between themselves and with their Earth-based teams. The objective is to better control increasingly ambitious robotic missions and to return more imagery and data from those flights for faster distribution to the science community and public. The focal point will be the Mars Telecommunication Orbiter (MTO), a Mars orbiting communications satellite already approved and funded by Congress for launch to the red planet in 2009.MTO's advanced operational microwave capability should be able to relay to Earth magnitudes more information than current spacecraft, as well as near real-time images from Nasa's next generation of rovers, also set for launch in 2009.
Martian Infotech
Aviation Week and Space Technology ; 162 , 9
2005-02-28
Miscellaneous
No indication
English
VIEWPOINT - Deregulation key to infotech
Online Contents | 1993
EDITORIALS - Tilting toward "Infotech India".
Online Contents | 2000
Lockheed Martin refines its F-35 infotech solutions
Online Contents | 2004
New uses will boosts aerospace infotech sales - As customer base expands
Online Contents | 1997