Strategies for telecommunications and navigation in support of Mars exploration

The planned exploration of Mars will pose new and unique telecommunciations and navigation challenges. The full range of orbital, atmospheric, and sur face exploration will drive requirements on data return, energy-efficient c ommunications, connectivity, and positioning. In this paper we will summari ze the needs of the currently planned Mars exploration mission set, outline design trades and options for meeting these needs, and quantify the specif ic telecommunications and navigation capabilities of an evolving infrastruc ture. (C) 2001 AIAA. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.