Mars Orbit Off

The government is stating on their website that Mars is in a retrograde orbit right now. Other sites I read said that it wasn't supposed to start until Aug 29th. The government site says now that the retro-orbit has started at the end of July. The government site said that this will change Mars altitude and azmuth. If the government isn't lying then this may be what I'm picking up with the Mars thing.

Note: the retrograde orbit is in fact an illusion due to the orbit or Earth being faster, and in the same direction, as the orbit of Mars. They both move in the same direction, counterclockwise, but as Earth moves faster, after the closest point, Earth leaves Mars behind which makes Mars appear to be moving in a retrograde motion, clockwise. The only way for this to have occurred is:

1. Mars moved faster in its orbit and was at its closest point at the end of July. Something would have induced Mars to speed up its orbit.
2. Earth moved faster in its orbit, so that it was in a position to view Mars as in a retrograde orbit a month early.
3. Both could have slowed in their orbits, Mars more than Earth.