Transmitting data from spacecraft to Earth is a vital component of space exploration. The Deep Space Network (DSN) is the primary communications network between Earth and numerous deep-space and near-Earth spacecraft. With only 14 antennas supporting 50+ DSN users, the network is a limited resource and antenna allocation requires coordination that is handled via a collaborative effort by the DSN scheduling group.

Data transmissions from Mars lander missions add an additional layer of complexity to the process. Due to the smaller antenna size of landed assets and the consequent lower data rates, transmission from the surface of Mars directly to Earth is slow and has limited daily opportunities (when the landers face Earth). The creation of the Mars Relay Network (MRN), which enlists orbiters to relay data from landers to Earth, helped solve these problems.