MRO Cost Chart

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter costs per fiscal year The project began formulation in 2001 and entered the implementation (build) phase in 2003. The orbiter launched in August 2005 and entered Mars orbit in September of 2006, where it has been in operation ever since. Source: Planetary Science Budget Dataset, compiled by Casey Dreier for The Planetary Society (accessible on Google Sheets or downloadable as an Excel file).