NASA faces a crucial choice on a Mars spacecraft—and it must decide soon

January 31, 2026

Here's something that might surprise you — NASA's about to make a big call on its next Mars spacecraft, and it’s more critical than you think. So, why does this matter right now? Well, NASA needs a new way to keep talking to Mars, especially after losing the MAVEN satellite. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has been the main link for 20 years, but it’s getting old. According to Eric Berger from TechCrunch, Congress recently threw in $700 million for a new telecommunications orbiter, highlighting how urgent this is. Now, here’s where it gets interesting — NASA’s decision could shape the entire future of Mars exploration for the next decade. As Berger points out, the agency is at a crossroads. Choose wisely, and we might see a new wave of missions. Miss the mark, and it’s back to the drawing board. So keep an eye — this choice isn’t just about hardware, it’s about the future of our curiosity about the red planet.

A consequential debate that has been simmering behind closed doors at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC, must soon come to a head. It concerns the selection of the next spacecraft the agency will fly to Mars, and it could set the tone for the next decade of exploration of the red planet.

What everyone agrees on is that NASA needs a new spacecraft capable of relaying communications from Mars to Earth. This issue has become especially acute with the recent loss of NASA's MAVEN spacecraft. NASA's best communications relay remains the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which has now been there for 20 years.

Congress cared enough about this issue to add $700 million in funding for a "Mars Telecommunications Orbiter" in the supplemental funding for NASA provided by the "One Big Beautiful Bill" passed by the US Congress last year.

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