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Mars Cube One

MarCO

The twin communications-relay CubeSats, built by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, constitute a technology demonstration called Mars Cube One (MarCO).

Mission Statistics

Launch Date

May 5, 2018

Type

Technology Demonstration, CubeSat/SmallSat

Target

Mars

Status

Past

About the mission

The twin communications-relay CubeSats, built by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, constitute a technology demonstration called Mars Cube One (MarCO). CubeSats are a class of spacecraft based on a standardized small size and modular use of off-the-shelf technologies. Many have been made by university students, and dozens have been launched into Earth orbit using extra payload mass available on launches of larger spacecraft.

MarCO-A and B are the first and second interplanetary CubeSats designed to monitor InSight for a short period around landing and to demonstration a potential future capability. The MarCO pair carried their own communications and navigation experiments as they flew independently to the Red Planet.

Mission Highlights

Nov. 26, 2018

November 26, 2018 - provided real-time communications link to Earth for InSight during its entry, descent, and landing (EDL) on Mars.

Oct. 22, 2018

October 22, 2018 - First Image of Mars from a CubeSat
Mars

MarCO-B took this image of Mars from about 4,700 miles (7,600 kilometers) away during its flyby of the Red Planet on Nov. 26, 2018. This image was taken at about 12:10 p.m. PST (3:10 p.m. EST) while MarCO-B was flying away from the planet after InSight landed.

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

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MarCo Press Kit Website

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