MARS CLIMATE ORBITER LAUNCH back to mission timeline

The Mars Climate Orbiter's launch date is set for December 10, 1998, but there is a 14 day window to allow for unforseen delays. The Orbiter will launch from Kennedy Space Center, aboard a McDonnell Douglas Delta II. The Delta II is a very reliable lauch vehicle, but it can only carry a mass of 643 kg. For this reason, keeping the mass of the Orbiter under this threshold was very important to scientists on the project!