Name: Mars Orbiter — Terran R
Start: 2028-12-31T00:00:00Z
End: 2028-12-31T00:00:00Z
Location: Launch Complex 16

Question 1

What rocket is launching Mars Orbiter?

Accepted Answer

Mars Orbiter is launching on the Terran R.

Question 2

Who is launching Mars Orbiter?

Accepted Answer

Mars Orbiter is being launched by Relativity Space, a commercial launch provider founded in 2015.

Question 3

Where is Mars Orbiter launching from?

Accepted Answer

Mars Orbiter is launching from Launch Complex 16 at Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA.

Question 4

What orbit is Mars Orbiter heading to?

Accepted Answer

Mars Orbiter is heading to Mars Orbit (Mars).

Question 5

Is the Terran R reusable?

Accepted Answer

Yes — the Terran R is designed to be reused, with boosters that can fly multiple missions.

Question 6

What is the Mars Orbiter mission?

Accepted Answer

Mars science and telecommunications orbiter, with a NASA-developed atmospheric instrument suite called Aeolus. It includes a Doppler wind and temperature sensor, thermal limb sounder, surface radiometric sensors and a wide-field camera.

Question 7

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 8

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 9

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 10

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 11

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 Orbiter

What to expect

Watch it here

Overview

Mission details

Terran R Specs

Relativity Space

Launch Complex 16

Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

Launch window

Social Flight Log

Photo gallery

Frequently asked questions