Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

Active

NASA's most powerful and longest-serving Mars orbiter, providing high-resolution imaging and detailed surface analysis for nearly two decades. MRO has fundamentally changed our understanding of Mars through unprecedented detail.

Type

Mars Orbiter

Launch Date

08/12/2005

Landing Date

03/10/2006

Location

Mars Orbit

Latest Scientific Discovery

Live Mission Data

Recent Discoveries

Mission Achievements

✓19+ years operational at Mars (October 2025) - Third longest-lived Mars orbiter
✓Captured over 6.9 million images of Mars surface in stunning detail
✓Delivered over 473 terabits of data - more than all other Mars missions combined
✓Discovered recurring slope lineae (possible seasonal water flows)
✓Mapped mineral composition revealing ancient water activity
✓Provided landing site analysis for Curiosity, InSight, and Perseverance
✓Detected subsurface water ice across Mars
✓Confirmed active avalanches on Martian polar ice caps
✓Critical communications relay for Mars surface missions

Mission Objectives

▸Search for evidence of past or present water activity on Mars
▸Map Mars surface composition and mineralogy in unprecedented detail
▸Study Mars climate and seasonal changes
▸Provide high-resolution imaging for future mission planning
▸Serve as communications relay for surface missions
▸Monitor daily weather patterns and atmospheric conditions

Scientific Instruments

•HiRISE: High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment - captures images at 30cm resolution
•CRISM: Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars - mineral analysis
•MCS: Mars Climate Sounder - atmospheric temperature and humidity profiles
•MARCI: Mars Color Imager - daily global weather maps
•SHARAD: Shallow Subsurface Radar - detects underground ice and rock layers
•CTX: Context Camera - wide-angle imaging for regional mapping