Blue Origin wins $700 million contract to build NASA's next Mars orbiter
NASA has awarded Blue Origin a $700 million contract to develop the Mars Telecommunications Network, a new orbiter system designed to support future Mars missions. The orbiter is expected to be operational by 2030, providing high-bandwidth communication and navigation services.
Why it matters
This contract marks a significant shift in NASA's strategy to rely on private industry for critical deep-space infrastructure, supporting long-term human and robotic exploration of Mars.
Missions Blue Origin wins $700 million contract to build NASA's next Mars orbiter News By Mike Wall Published 2 September 2026 Blue Origin must deliver the telecommunications orbiter to NASA by Dec. 31, 2028.
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Click for next article Still from a Blue Origin animation showing its Mars Telecommunications Network orbiter at the Red Planet. (Image credit: Blue Origin) Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 1 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Blue Origin will build NASA's next Mars orbiter.
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