A Deep Space Challenge for Future Human Communications: Achieving Mars through Light

With the increasing investments and initiatives aimed at human landings on Mars, there arises a critical necessity for swift and dependable communication between Earth and Mars. While traditional radio communications have historically been employed, it is recognized that optical signals offer the potential for higher transmission speeds. However, challenges such as overcoming communication hurdles and mitigating in-terference, particularly from the Sun's position, remain to be addressed. This discussion delves into evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of various communication architectures, empha-sizing the necessary advancements to establish reliable and rapid communication links between Earth and Mars. One prospective solution for ensuring continuous communication could involve utilizing non-Keplerian orbits for satellite relays, thus circum-venting potential disruptions during Earth-Mars conjunctions.