Mars Cubesat One (MarC0)
Occurred 6 years ago
Type
CubeSat
Launch
May 5, 2018
Target
Mars
Objective
Technology Demonstration, CubeSat/SmallSat
Mars Cube One (MarCO) was the first interplanetary mission to use a class of mini-spacecraft called CubeSats. Their goal was to test new miniaturized deep space communication equipment. Upon their arrival at Mars, the twin MarCOs successfully relayed back InSight data as it entered the Martian atmosphere and landed.
An artist's rendering of NASA's twin Mars Cube One (MarCO) spacecraft as they fly through deep space.
NASA/JPL-Caltech
Key Dates
May 5, 2018: Launch (with NASA's InSight lander)
Nov. 26, 2018: Mars flyby / Relay operations
Dec. 29, 2018: Last contact with MarCO B
Jan. 4, 2019: Last contact with MarCO A
Tech Specs
Spacecraft Mass | 30 pounds (13.5 kilograms) each |
Launch Vehicle | Atlas V-401 |
Launch Date and Time | May 5, 2018 | 11:05 UTC |
Launch Site | Vandenberg Air Force Base, California |
Scientific Instruments | 1. UHF Radio Receiver 2. X Band Radio Transmitter |
NASA Visualization Technology Applications and Development (VTAD)
MarCO-B, one of the experimental Mars Cube One (MarCO) CubeSats, took this image of Mars from about 4,700 miles (6,000 kilometers) away during its flyby of the Red Planet on Nov. 26, 2018.
NASA/JPL-Caltech
