Despite a major drive to move to more of a service model for communication using private sector satellites.
NASA has announced plans to procure a new communications satellite that would orbit Mars and transmit data to and from the Red Planet. The proposed price tag is $700 million, representing close to 4% of the organization's budget for the next year. This is somewhat of a surprising move, as NASA has previously announced its intention to transition towards using private sector satellites on a service model for future communications platforms.
The budget reconciliation bill enacted in July spelled out this $700 million procurement plan, with the satellite designed to act as a relay for information to and from Mars. The bill doesn't offer concrete details on the orbiter, but says it must be completed by the end of 2028. That only stipulates manufacturing, though, giving no idea of when the satellite would launch, nor enter its intended Mars orbit.
SpaceNews reports a comment from Kevin Coggins, NASA deputy associate administrator for space communications and navigation, noting that NASA was still working on a plan to procure the satellite and had already received interest from a range of parties. Those include Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin and Rocket Lab Corporation, the latter of which produces the Electron small lift vehicle.
Alongside its main communication relay role, the satellite must also be capable of "autonomous operations, onboard processing, and extended mission duration capabilities." This language seems to imply that NASA wants to get an AI-capable communications satellite in place before future Mars missions occur. It's unclear why that might be necessary, but autonomous operations for maneuvering and resource management hold a lot of promise for a wide range of spacecraft, including satellites.
Meanwhile, NASA is transitioning away from managing its own communication satellites. That involves phasing out NASA's current Tracking and Data Relay Satellite network. Discussions have also begun with a handful of partner companies that may provide a part of a future network. SpaceX is one early contender, offering an adjusted version of its Starlink platform, known as Marslink, for future communications on the Red Planet and beyond.