Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
NASA space probe in orbit of Mars
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The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is a NASA spacecraft that orbits Mars to study the planet from above. It helps scientists understand Mars' geology, atmosphere, and climate, and supports future missions by identifying safe landing sites and locating water resources.
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The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) is a spacecraft designed to search for the existence of water on Mars and provide support for missions to Mars, as part of NASA's Mars Exploration Program. It was launched from Cape Canaveral on August 12, 2005, at 11:43 UTC and reached Mars on March 10, 2006, at 21:24 UTC. In November 2006, after six months of aerobraking, it entered its final science orbit and began its primary science phase.
Mission objectives include observing the climate of Mars, investigating geologic forces, providing reconnaissance of future landing sites, and relaying data from surface missions back to Earth. To support these objectives, the MRO carries different scientific instruments, including three cameras, two spectrometers and a subsurface radar. As of July 29, 2023, the MRO has returned over 450 terabits of data, helped choose safe landing sites for NASA's Mars landers, and discovered pure water ice in new craters and further evidence that water once flowed on the surface on Mars.
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2005 in FloridaAugust 2005 in the United StatesJet Propulsion Laboratory space probesLockheed Martin space probesMars Exploration ProgramMars Reconnaissance OrbiterMissions to MarsNASA space probesSatellites orbiting MarsSource attributionSpacecraft launched by Atlas rocketsSpace probes launched in 2005