> The mass- and power-constrained rover can achieve high data rates of up to 2 megabits per second on the relatively short-distance relay link to the orbiters overhead. The orbiters then use their much larger antennas and transmitters to relay that data on the long-distance link back to Earth.
> Transmission Rates Up to 2 megabits per second on the rover-to-orbiter relay link.
And using DSN Now, we can also see that the speed from Earth to those orbiters is also 2Mbps.
The Rover-to-Orbiter is 2Mbps, whereas the X-Band High-Gain Antenna link is 3Kbps:
> 160/500 bits per second or faster to/from the Deep Space Network's 112-foot-diameter (34-meter-diameter) antennas or at 800/3000 bits per second or faster to/from the Deep Space Network's 230-foot-diameter (70 meter-diameter)
I'm a bit surprised the Rover talks directly to Earth for the high speed data transfer. I would have expected a large dish in Martian orbit being used to relay the signal down to the rover's relatively tiny high gain antenna. Even when you account for the fact that the satellite will only be overhead part of the time the link budget calculation would be enormously different.
They do, from the link in the comment you replied to:
> Most often, Mars 2020 uses its ultra-high frequency (UHF) antenna (about 400 megahertz) to communicate with Earth through NASA's orbiters around Mars. Because the rover and orbiter antennas are within close range of each other, they act a little like walky-talkies compared to the long-range telecommunications with Earth provided by the low-gain and high-gain antennas.
