Analysis of the Transmission Capacity of a Radio System for Deep-Space Communication with the Use of Relays at a Mars Mission

A comparative analysis is carried out for the information capacities of radio systems designed for deep-space communication using relay satellites to secure the Earth–Mars transfer. The use of relay satellites in the Lagrange points of the Sun–Earth system, of a “string-of-pearls” constellation of relay satellites, as well as of an accompanying relay satellite in the resonant orbit is analyzed. The options using “transparent” and regenerative transponders are considered. It is shown that the use of accompanying relay satellite at the final stage of Earth–Mars transfer allows, under certain conditions, to have a gain in the information capacity of the radio channel of up to six times in comparison with the direct communication channel.