Mars Cube One (or MarCO) is a Mars flyby mission consisting of two nanospacecraft, of a size that JPL has referred to as a "6U CubeSat", that is planned for launch in 2018 or later alongside NASA's InSight Mars lander mission. Mars Cube One is intended to provide a communications link to Earth for InSight during mission critical entry, descent, and landing when InSight will be out of sight from the Earth.[1] Mars Cube One is expected to be the first spacecraft built to the CubeSat form to operate beyond Earth orbit.
Launch[]
The launch of Mars Cube One is being managed by NASA's Launch Services Program. The launch was originally scheduled for 4 March 2016 on an Atlas V 401,[2] but the mission was postponed to 2018 after a major test failure of an InSight instrument.
Objectives[]
MarCO A and B monitoring InSight landing (artist concept)
The two "MarCO" CubeSats (A and B), are identical.[3] They measure Template loop detected: Template:Convert/x[4] (about 10.5x the volume of a 10x10x10 cm 1U cubesat) with one of them serving as backup. They will fly by Mars during the landing phase and relay InSight's telemetry in real time.[1][5] MarCO is a technology capability demonstration of communications relay system.
Communications system[]
MarCO has a small UHF antenna and a large flat-panel X band antenna. They are capable of an 8 kbit/s UHF link from InSight to MarCO, and 8 kbit/s X-band link from MarCO to DSN dishes on Earth.[1]
See also[]
- Curiosity rover
- Exploration of Mars
- ExoMars - Orbiter/rover
- Mars 3
- Mars Exploration Rover
- Mars Express orbiter
- Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
- Mars Science Laboratory
- Odyssey orbiter
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Template:Cite news
- ↑ "NASA Awards Launch Services Contract for InSight Mission". http://www.nasa.gov/press/2013/december/nasa-awards-launch-services-contract-for-insight-mission/. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
- ↑ Template:Cite news
- ↑ MarCO Mission overview includes video
- ↑ Template:Cite news
External links[]
Template:Future spaceflights
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