NASA awards Blue Origin $700 million fixed-price contract to deliver Mars Telecommunications Network orbiter by end of 2028

Blue Origin/Mars Telecommunications Network Orbiter

NASA selected Blue Origin to design, develop, integrate, launch, and operate a Mars telecommunications orbiter under a firm-fixed-price contract worth $700 million. The spacecraft must be delivered by December 31, 2028, and will provide high-bandwidth relay communications and navigation services for NASA's Mars missions, with the network operational by 2030.

• Congress appropriated $700 million for the Mars telecommunications orbiter in the reconciliation bill signed in July 2025, directing NASA to procure it through competitive bidding with a US commercial provider.
• The fixed-price contract structure transfers cost risk to Blue Origin, incentivizing efficient design and manufacturing.
• The orbiter will relay science data, imagery, navigation information, and critical mission communications for current and future Mars assets including rovers, landers, and sample return missions.
• Rocket Lab filed a Government Accountability Office protest against the award, claiming the selection was inconsistent with Congress's eligibility criteria and that its own technical proposal was unfairly evaluated.