# Mars Telecommunications Orbiter

> cancelled Mars mission that was originally intended to launch in 2009 and would have established an Interplanetary Internet between Earth and Mars

**Wikidata**: [Q1069974](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1069974)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Telecommunications_Orbiter)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/mars-telecommunications-orbiter

## Summary
Mars Telecommunications Orbiter (MTO) was a cancelled NASA Mars orbiter mission. It was originally intended to launch in 2009 and was planned to establish an “Interplanetary Internet” communications link between Earth and Mars.

## Key Facts
- Mars Telecommunications Orbiter was a cancelled Mars mission.
- The mission was operated by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
- It was originally intended to launch in 2009.
- It was planned as an orbiter (a spacecraft designed to orbit a celestial body), specifically orbiting Mars.
- The mission’s stated goal included establishing an Interplanetary Internet between Earth and Mars.
- Known aliases include “MTO,” “Mars Telecommunications Orbiter,” “Mars Telecomunications Orbiter,” and “Mars science and telecommunications orbiter.”
- The Wikimedia Commons category for the mission is “Mars Telecommunications Orbiter.”
- The Wikipedia title is “Mars Telecommunications Orbiter,” with language editions including de, en, fr, hu, id, ja, pl, pt, and ru (and a Commons entry).
- A referenced Freebase ID exists for the entity: `/m/05dbc_` (reference publication date: 2013-10-28).

## FAQs
### Q: What was the Mars Telecommunications Orbiter supposed to do?
A: It was intended to be a Mars orbiter mission operated by NASA. Its planned role included establishing an Interplanetary Internet between Earth and Mars.

### Q: Was Mars Telecommunications Orbiter ever launched?
A: No. Mars Telecommunications Orbiter is described as a cancelled (abandoned) Mars mission, even though it was originally intended to launch in 2009.

### Q: When was Mars Telecommunications Orbiter supposed to launch?
A: The mission was originally intended to launch in 2009. It was later cancelled.

### Q: What does “MTO” stand for?
A: “MTO” is an alias for Mars Telecommunications Orbiter. The entity is also referred to by several similar names, including “Mars science and telecommunications orbiter.”

## Why It Matters
Mars Telecommunications Orbiter matters because it represents a planned step toward sustained, networked communications between Earth and Mars. As described, it was intended to establish an “Interplanetary Internet,” framing Mars communications not as isolated links but as part of a broader networking concept spanning planets. Even though the mission was cancelled, the idea highlights the importance of communications infrastructure for Mars exploration: orbiters can serve as relay and connectivity platforms for assets on or around Mars and for communications back to Earth. The mission is also notable as a NASA-operated, Mars-orbiting concept with a specific planned launch timeframe (2009), making it a concrete example of how mission planning can target both scientific and telecommunications goals. In knowledge bases and research contexts, MTO is relevant as an abandoned mission concept tied to interplanetary networking ambitions, and it is frequently referenced under multiple aliases that can affect search, linking, and entity resolution.

## Notable For
- Being a cancelled NASA Mars orbiter mission that was originally intended to launch in 2009.
- Having an explicit stated purpose of establishing an Interplanetary Internet between Earth and Mars.
- Being categorized as an orbiter mission associated with Mars.
- Being known by multiple aliases (including variant spellings) that commonly appear in references and catalogs.

## Body
### Mission Identity
- Name: Mars Telecommunications Orbiter
- Aliases:
  - MTO
  - Mars Telecommunications Orbiter
  - Mars Telecomunications Orbiter
  - Mars science and telecommunications orbiter
- Operator: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
- Status: cancelled / abandoned entity

### Mission Type and Classification
- Instance/class: orbiter (spacecraft which orbits a planet or other celestial body)
- Intended target/orbit: Mars (qualifier indicates Mars)

### Planned Timeline
- Originally intended launch date: 2009
- Outcome: mission was cancelled (did not proceed to launch as planned)

### Purpose and Intended Role
- Planned objective: establish an Interplanetary Internet between Earth and Mars
- Mission framing: telecommunications-focused Mars orbiter concept

### Reference and Catalog Metadata
- Wikipedia title: Mars Telecommunications Orbiter
- Commons category: Mars Telecommunications Orbiter
- Wikipedia language presence: commons, de, en, fr, hu, id, ja, pl, pt, ru
- Freebase ID: `/m/05dbc_` (reference publication date: 2013-10-28)
- Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/PIA07500.jpg

## References

1. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013