SpaceX offered to connect Mars to the Starlink Internet service, and NASA is not against it

SpaceX is working on a conceptual version of the Starlink satellite Internet service for use in Mars conditions, PCMag reported, citing a NASA presentation held on Thursday at a meeting of the Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG).

Image source: SpaceX

MEPAG is dedicated to supporting future NASA missions to the Red Planet. One NASA presentation said the space agency is using commercial services from aerospace companies to explore Mars. One example of such interaction was the possible conclusion of a contract with SpaceX, whose Starlink satellite Internet system is now used by more than 4 million people living in different regions of the Earth.

According to the presentation, NASA has asked aerospace companies to submit proposals for their technologies that could be used on Mars. One of the NASA presentation slides describes SpaceX’s concept for the Marslink Internet service, based on the design of the Starlink satellites.

In addition to Marslink, two other concepts were presented for the development of “next generation relay services” capable of transmitting data at speeds of 4 Mbps or more over a distance of 1.5 astronomical units, or the current distance between Mars and the Sun. This means that satellites orbiting Mars must transmit data to Earth and other spacecraft over vast distances, possibly via the Starlink laser communications system.

According to the SpaceX presentation, the plan is to use “multiple spacecraft positioned in Mars orbit to provide full visibility and interoperability for terrestrial and orbital assets.” The Marslink concept “exceeds” the requested capabilities and can also be used for planetary imaging and monitoring.

NASA’s presentation states that “there are a significant number of interested companies, even beyond the study participants.” MEPAG plans to continue discussing projects with industry representatives next year.

Recall that NASA recently achieved a “sustained downlink data rate of 6.25 Mbps” using a laser system on board the Psyche spacecraft, which was located approximately 490 million km away – or so the same distance between Mars and Earth, when the two planets are at their maximum distance from each other.