Key statistics
Satellite MSL at a glance.
Uptime
254
Days in orbit
Revolutions
N/A
Per day
Orbit
Mars
None
Inclination
N/A
Latest
Satellite identification and parameters
Extended collection of information and parameters for MSL.
Object identification
Object name: MSL
International designator: 2011-070A
Object number (NORAD): 37936
Object ID (CCSDS): 37936
Country: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (US)
Current information (Y/N): Y
Notes: MARS LANDING
Orbital parameters
Decay date: Aug. 6, 2012
Inclination: None deg
Period: None minutes
Apoapsis: None km
Periapsis: None km
Two-line elements (TLE)
No TLE available, as this satellite has decayed and is no longer in orbit.
Live tracking on map
Satellite MSL has decayed and is no longer in orbit. No tracking available.
In-orbit conjunctions
Satellite MSL has decayed and is no longer in orbit. No conjunctions available.
Associated space launch
The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission, featuring the renowned Curiosity rover, was designed to assess the planet's past and present habitability. Equipped with an array of advanced scientific instruments, including a drill and a sample analysis unit, Curiosity explored the Gale Crater, a site believed to contain evidence of ancient Martian environments. It delivered groundbreaking discoveries, including the detection of organic molecules and the confirmation of an ancient, potentially habitable lake bed.
MSL was lifted into orbit during the mission ‘Atlas V 541 | MSL (Curiosity)’, on board a Atlas V 541 space rocket.
The launch took place on Nov. 26, 2011, 3:02 p.m. from Space Launch Complex 41.
For more information about the launch, click the button.
Atlas V 541 | MSL (Curiosity)
Agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Status: Launch Successful
Launch date: Nov. 26, 2011, 3:02 p.m. UTC
Rocket: Atlas V 541
Launch pad: Space Launch Complex 41
Location: Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
...
Latest news about this satellite
Curiosity Blog, Sols 4655-4660: Boxworks With a View
Written by Sharon Wilson Purdy, Planetary Geologist at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Earth planning date: Friday Sept. 12, 2025 Curiosity continues to image, analyze, and traverse through a landscape characterized by higher standing ridges...
Curiosity Blog, Sols 4649-4654: Ridges, Hollows and Nodules, Oh My
Written by Lucy Thompson, Planetary Scientist and APXS Team Member, University of New Brunswick, Canada Earth planning date: Friday, Sept. 5, 2025 Curiosity is in the midst of the boxwork campaign, trying to decipher why we see such pronounced ridges and ...
Curiosity Blog, Sols 4641-4648: Thinking Outside and Inside the ‘Boxwork’
Written by Ashley Stroupe, Mission Operations Engineer and Rover Planner at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory Earth planning week: Aug. 25, 2025. This week Curiosity has been exploring the boxwork unit, investigating both the ridges and the hollows to bett...
Newsletter sign-up
Weekly statistics, charts and insights to help you stay on top of the space industry.
