The Mars Era: Launching the Next Space Race

The article emphasizes the importance of building dedicated infrastructure, specifically the Mars Telecommunications Orbiter (MTO), to support sustained human exploration of Mars. It argues that investing in such systems now is crucial for safe, continuous, and effective missions, and highlights Rocket Lab's proposal for a high-performance relay orbiter as a cost-effective solution to replace aging Mars communication assets. The author stresses that leadership in deep space exploration depends on establishing this infrastructure before human landings occur.