Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is a NASA spacecraft. It launched on August 12, 2005 from Cape Canaveral, Florida. It arrived at Mars on March 10, 2006. It went into orbit around Mars, and has been studying the planet since then. The main area of study is looking for water on Mars, under the surface of Mars, and in the atmosphere of Mars. To do this, it has the largest telescope ever sent to another planet. The orbiter also works as a communications satellite. Its powerful antennas send and receive messages between NASA on Earth, and rovers on the surface of Mars.[1]
 Artist's impression of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft. | |
| Mission type | Mars orbiter |
|---|---|
| Operator | NASA / JPL |
| COSPAR ID | 2005-029A |
| SATCAT no. | 28788 |
| Website | marsprogram nasa |
| Mission duration | Primary mission: 2 years Elapsed: 18 years, 8 months and 6 days from launch 18 years, 1 month and 8 days (6437 sols) at Mars |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Manufacturer | Lockheed Martin / University of Arizona / APL / ASI / Malin Space Science Systems |
| Launch mass | 2,180 kg (4,810 lb) |
| Dry mass | 1,031 kg (2,273 lb) |
| Payload mass | 139 kg (306 lb) |
| Power | 2,000.0 watts |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | August 12, 2005, 11:43:00 UTC |
| Rocket | Atlas V 401 |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral SLC-41 |
| Contractor | ILS |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Areocentric |
| Regime | Sun-synchronous |
| Inclination | 93 degrees |
| Mars orbiter | |
| Orbital insertion | March 10, 2006, 21:24:00 UTC MSD 46990 12:48 AMT 20 Dhanus 211 Darian |
 Official insignia of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter mission. | |
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Media
Components of Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
Ridges as Evidence of Fluid Alteration: Tectonic fractures within the Candor Chasma region of Valles Marineris, Mars, retain ridge-like shapes as the surrounding bedrock erodes away. This points to past episodes of fluid alteration along the fractures and reveals clues into past fluid flow and geochemical conditions below the surface.
The Curiosity rover during atmospheric entry as seen by HiRISE on August 6, 2012. Supersonic parachute and backshell visible.
Image taken by HiRISE of Acidalia Planitia on May 17, 2015, where the novel The Martian and its film adaptation take place.
Comparison of Mars with and without the dust storm that caused the end of the Opportunity rover, taken by MARCI in 2018
An artist's concept of MRO using SHARAD to "look" under the surface of Mars
An image of Phobos taken by HiRISE on March 23, 2008 from a distance of around 6,800 kilometres (4,200 mi)
Size comparison of MRO with predecessors
- MarsReconnaissanceOrbitersolarpanel
MRO High Gain Antenna installation
References
- ↑ "Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter". NASA. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
