Chapter 1: Introduction to Mars Cube One

NASA's InSight lander embarked on its journey to Mars with the help of two small satellites, known as the MarCO (Mars Cube One) CubeSats. Launched aboard the same rocket, these compact satellites played a supportive role throughout InSight's mission. Although not critical for InSight's success, the MarCO satellites executed their tasks flawlessly. Their recent silence, however, does not indicate a failure.

The MarCO satellites, designated MarCO-A and MarCO-B, traveled alongside the InSight lander toward Mars. These satellites are classified as CubeSats due to their compact design, where a single unit (1U) measures just 10 centimeters on each side. For more intricate missions, engineers utilize larger configurations such as 2U or 3U. The MarCO satellites, affectionately named Eve and Wall-E after the animated film characters, were constructed in a 6U format.

NASA invested only $18 million in these two satellites, a modest amount considering the challenges of deep space missions. The MarCO mission was pivotal in demonstrating that CubeSats can operate effectively beyond Earth's orbit. Equipped with experimental high-gain antennas, most of the components used were standard parts readily available on the market.

Chapter 2: The Achievements of MarCO Satellites

Throughout their mission, MarCO-A and MarCO-B successfully captured images and transmitted communication data back to NASA as InSight landed on Mars late last year. While NASA had backup plans in case of failure, the MarCO satellites exceeded expectations. However, their rudimentary cold-gas propulsion system lacked the thrust necessary to enter Martian orbit. As a result, they drifted into silence, occasionally sending signals to confirm their operational status.

NASA reported that MarCO-B last communicated on December 29, followed by MarCO-A's check-in on January 4. Although the agency is not expecting further contact, the mission has the potential to change the landscape of unmanned space exploration. Traditional deep-space missions often require budgets in the hundreds of millions, whereas CubeSats present a more economical alternative. The Mars Cube One mission has successfully illustrated that these smaller satellites can accomplish essential tasks in deep space without exorbitant costs, paving the way for future missions utilizing CubeSat designs.

In the video "GTOSat: Venturing where no CubeSat has gone before," we explore the pioneering efforts of CubeSats in deep space missions.

The second video, "How Did NASA Lose a Mars Space Probe Because of Maths?" delves into the challenges and mathematical complexities faced by NASA during their Mars missions.

Now read: On Its Way to Mars, Cubesat Snaps Photo of Earth and the Moon | Scientists Measure the Total Brightness of the Universe: 4 x 1??? Photons | China’s First Space Station Has Broken Up, Landed in Pacific Ocean

Originally published at www.extremetech.com on February 8, 2019.