Pre-launch Activities |
2002 - Aug. 2005 |
Preparation for the mission, including assembly and testing, and delivery to Cape Canaveral |
Launch |
Aug. 12, 2005 |
Lift-off from Earth |
Cruise |
Aug. 2005 - March 2006 |
Voyage through space to Mars |
Approach |
March 2006 |
Nearing the red planet |
Mars Orbit Insertion |
March 12, 2006 |
Capturing the spacecraft into orbit around Mars |
Aerobraking |
March 2006 - Nov. 2006 |
Orbiter slows down in the martian atmosphere and is placed into a near polar, low altitude, circular orbit for science-data collecting; characterized upper atmospheric density |
Primary Science Phase |
Nov. 2006 - Nov. 2008 |
Higher resolution observations of the atmosphere, surface and subsurface of Mars; extended coverage to identify targets of interest; landing site and relay support for Phoenix Mars Scout |
Extended Science Phase |
Nov. 2008 - Dec. 2010 |
High-resolution targeted imaging of surface composition and morphology revealing potentially habitable zones; internal and external polar cap structure; subsurface ice; Mars Science Laboratory landing site support |
Extended Mission 1 |
Dec. 2010 - Sep. 2012 |
Characterizing seasonal processes and their interannual variability; searching for surface changes; diversity of Mars further revealed; critical event coverage of Mars Science Laboratory landing |
Extended Mission 2 |
Oct. 2012 - Oct. 2014 (in progress) |
Targeting new locales of interest, following up on earlier discoveries, and characterizing interannual variability in atmospheric and surface processes; relay support for Mars Science Lab and Mars Exploration Rovers |