| Step 1: | Countdown and system checks |
|---|
| Step 2: | Liftoff and boost phase of the launch |
|---|
| Step 3: | Insertion into a circular parking orbit |
|---|
| Step 4: | A coast period followed by additional launch vehicle burns necessary to inject the spacecraft onto a trajectory to Mars |
|---|
| Step 5: | Separation of the spacecraft from the launch vehicle |
|---|
| Step 6: | Initial acquisition by the Deep Space Network |
|---|
| Step 7: | Verification of the initial spacecraft health and operating conditions |
|---|
| Step 8: | The verified execution of a minimal set of post-launch commands |
|---|
| Step 9: | Launch phase ends, and the spacecraft continues in its cruise phase |
|---|
