Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

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.jpl.nasa.gov/mro/ nasa.gov/mission_pages/MRO/main/index.html
Mission duration	Primary mission: 2 years Elapsed: 19 years, 3 months and 14 days from launch 18 years, 8 months and 16 days (6653 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 (2005-08-12UTC11:43Z) 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 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.