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

August 12, 2005

Landing Date

March 10, 2006

Location

Mars Orbit

Latest Scientific Discovery

Live Mission Data

Recent Discoveries

Mission Achievements

✓Longest-serving active Mars orbiter (19+ years operational)
✓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
✓Served as primary 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