Hello Mars! Musk wants to place multiple SpaceX satellites around the red planet

Elon Musk wants to put Starlink-like satellites around Mars to facilitate communication for future missions. While humans are still quite far away from stepping foot on the red planet, preparations for basic necessities for when it does happen seem to be already underway.

SpaceX has pitched a plan to NASA about a Marslink constellation that will be similar to its Starlink design. A NASA presentation during a meeting of the Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group showed different proposals for communication networks to be placed in Mars' orbit.

As per a Spaceflight Now report, the presentation mentioned a Marslink constellation comprising “multiple SpaceX satellites placed in Mars orbit" which will "provide full visibility and interoperability for ground and orbital assets."

The company has been growing its internet constellation, with Starlink currently being operational in 102 countries. It recently launched its 7,000th Starlink satellite to orbit and is aiming to place a whopping 42,000 satellites in low Earth orbit.

Musk has been eyeing Mars for years and has plans to send humans to the red planet aboard SpaceX's Starship.

With plans for a Marslink constellation, Musk has added another space adventure to his to-do list. The billionaire plans to "colonise" Mars and build habitats for humans.

A few weeks back, Musk said that he is ready to send uncrewed Starship rockets to Mars in the next two years. If this mission is a success, then the first crewed flights would be sent in four years, he said.

"Flight rate will grow exponentially from there, with the goal of building a self-sustaining city in about 20 years," Musk said.

Other companies in talks with NASA

Blue Origin and Lockheed Martin are the other two companies to pitch proposals for the same, as shown in the presentation. Blue Origin's plan includes setting up a relay network around Mars using its Blue Ring orbital tug. It will provide hosting, transportation, refuelling, data relay, and logistics, as well as in-space cloud computing. Blue Ring is a part of the DarkSky-1 (DS-1) mission sponsored by the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit.

Meanwhile, Lockheed Martin plans to use MAVEN or the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN spacecraft. It could help with communication by being transferred to a communications orbit and will operate like NASA’s network of radio antennas, the Deep Space Network.