Name: Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter — Atlas V 401
Start: 2005-08-12T11:43:00Z
End: 2005-08-12T11:43:00Z
Location: Space Launch Complex 41

Question 1

What rocket is launching Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter?

Accepted Answer

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is launching on the Atlas V 401.

Question 2

Who is launching Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter?

Accepted Answer

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is being launched by Lockheed Martin, a commercial launch provider founded in 1953.

Question 3

Where is Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter launching from?

Accepted Answer

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is launching from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA.

Question 4

What orbit is Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter heading to?

Accepted Answer

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is heading to Mars Orbit (Mars).

Question 5

Is the Atlas V 401 reusable?

Accepted Answer

No — the Atlas V 401 is an expendable launch vehicle.

Question 6

How many times has the Atlas V 401 flown?

Accepted Answer

The Atlas V 401 has launched 41 times to date, with 41 successful flights.

Question 7

What is the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter mission?

Accepted Answer

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) is a spacecraft designed to study the geology and climate of Mars, provide reconnaissance of future landing sites, and relay data from surface missions back to Earth. It was launched on August 12, 2005 and reached Mars on March 10, 2006. In November 2006, after five months of aerobraking, it entered its final science orbit and began its primary science phase.

Question 8

Where is Cape Canaveral Space Force Station?

Accepted Answer

Cape Canaveral Space Force Station sits on Florida's Atlantic coast, on the Eastern Range run by the U.S. Space Force's Space Launch Delta 45. It is the United States' busiest launch site and has been America's gateway to orbit since the 1950s.

Question 9

Which rockets launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

SpaceX flies Falcon 9 from Space Launch Complex 40, and United Launch Alliance flies the Vulcan Centaur (and the retiring Atlas V) from Space Launch Complex 41.

Question 10

Is Cape Canaveral the same as the Kennedy Space Center?

Accepted Answer

No. Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA's Kennedy Space Center are separate, neighbouring sites — Kennedy is on Merritt Island just to the north. Together they make up Florida's 'Space Coast'.

Question 11

Why do rockets launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

Its pads sit on the Eastern Range, letting rockets fly east out over the Atlantic toward the equatorial and geostationary orbits most commercial and national-security payloads need, away from populated land.

Question 12

Can you watch a launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

Yes — the Space Coast is one of the easiest places in the world to watch a launch from public land. Popular free spots include Playalinda Beach, Space View Park in Titusville, and Jetty Park at Port Canaveral.

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

Overview

Mission details

Launch Window

Space Launch Complex 41

Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

Frequently asked questions