Approach | ||
To ensure a successful entry, descent, and landing, engineers begin intensive preparations during the approach phase, 45 days before the spacecraft enters the Martian atmosphere. It lasts until the spacecraft enters the Martian atmosphere, which extends 3522.2 kilometers (2,113 miles) as measured from the center of the red planet. The activities that engineers typically focus on during the approach phase include:
During the approach phase, the amount of requested tracking by the Deep Space Network would be substantially increased to allow engineers to determine more accurate trajectory solutions in the final weeks before arrival at Mars. This tracking would support the safe delivery of the Mars Science Laboratory landing system to the surface of Mars. The Deep Space Network's 34-meter and 70-meter antennas will be able to provide tracking coverage of the spacecraft during the approach phase. |