Chapter 1: Mars Communication Breakthrough

ESA’s Mars Express has conducted a series of experimental communication trials with the Chinese Zhurong rover. This space vehicle successfully captured data transmitted “blind” by the rover on Mars and relayed it back to Earth, where it was sent to the Zhurong team in China.

As various space agencies embark on or plan missions to Mars, the planet has become the focal point for human exploration in space. In the coming decades, alongside the deployment of various rovers, there are expectations of manned missions and the establishment of human colonies on the red planet.

However, adapting Mars to human needs and its Earth-like characteristics necessitates another crucial element: reliable communication between spacecraft, rovers, and Earth.

While communication on Earth has become commonplace due to the digital revolution, the reality on Mars is quite different. The planet's conditions and space environment demand the development of new technologies and tools.

One topic of interest is the prospect of humans traveling to Mars by 2035.

Section 1.1: One-Way Communication Trials

Recently, the European Space Agency (ESA) and its Chinese counterpart initiated tests of a new technological design intended to enhance and expedite data transmission among vehicles and spacecraft on Mars, as well as from Mars to Earth.

According to a press release, they successfully trialed a one-way communication system in November, which had not previously been employed on Mars.

The landers and rovers gather data aimed at answering various questions about Mars' geography, atmosphere, climate, surface features, resources, and potential for life. This information needs to be sent back to Earth, starting with the rovers transmitting data to an orbiter circling Mars. The orbiters, equipped with larger and more powerful transmitters, then relay the information through space to Earth.

Traditionally, the communication design is bidirectional: orbiters like Mars Express first send a message to a rover to establish a connection. The rover then replies to facilitate a stable exchange of information.

However, for this bidirectional system to work effectively, the radio systems of the rover must be compatible with those of the orbiter. In this case, the communication frequencies used by the ESA orbiter differ from those of the Zhurong rover.

To overcome this limitation, researchers devised an alternative approach: Zhurong could transmit a signal using a frequency that Mars Express is able to receive.

Subsection 1.1.1: Successful Data Transmission

The Mars Express relay radio features a mode that enables this one-way communication, and the system has proven successful. This method is essentially “blind” communication, as the Chinese rover cannot verify whether its sent message has been received, nor can it obtain responses from the European orbiter.

Despite this limitation, the process has passed several evaluations: the data transmitted by Zhurong was successfully captured by the ESA orbiter and retransmitted to Earth.

Thanks to deep space communication antennas, the data reached ESA’s ESOC space operations center in Darmstadt, Germany. It was then forwarded to the Zhurong team at the Beijing Aerospace Flight Control Center in China, confirming the success of the trial and the quality of the received data.

This innovative design holds promise, particularly as Mars is expected to welcome “visitors” from various nations and continents, making compatibility in communication frequencies a challenging task. Researchers are already working on improving the method for future missions.

Chapter 2: Upcoming Mars Missions and Communication Challenges

The first video titled "KSP: Sending A Space Shuttle To Mars (Duna) And Back Without Refueling!" explores the potential for space missions to Mars and the complexities involved in achieving successful interplanetary travel.

The second video, "Rocket Lab's Mission To Mars Is Getting Closer," discusses Rocket Lab's plans and the advancements being made toward Mars exploration.