mars reconnaissance mars reconnaissance spacecraft designed conduct reconnaissance exploration mars orbit million spacecraft built supervision mission managed california washington launched august attained orbit march november months entered final science orbit began primary science phase entered orbit joined active spacecraft orbit planet surface mars global surveyor mars exploration spirit opportunity time set record operational spacecraft immediate vicinity mars mars global surveyor spirit ceased function remainder remain operational march contains host scientific instruments cameras radar analyze minerals ice mars way future spacecraft monitoring mars daily weather surface conditions studying potential landing sites hosting new telecommunications system telecommunications system transfer data earth previous missions combined serve highly capable relay satellite future missions pre launch missions considered mars launch window proposal lost known mission rescheduled launch nasa announced final mars reconnaissance october modeled nasa highly successful mars global surveyor conduct surveillance mars orbit early specifications satellite included large camera high resolution pictures mars regard mars exploration program scientist nasa proclaimed microscope orbit satellite include visible near infrared october nasa chose primary contractor spacecraft end mission instruments selected major setbacks construction spacecraft moved prepare launch mission objectives science operations initially scheduled earth years november november mission main goals map landscape high resolution cameras order choose landing sites future surface missions played important role choosing landing site phoenix explored initial site chosen scientists camera found analysis instrument new site chosen highly landing site inspected provided critical navigation data landings acts telecommunications relay onboard scientific equipment study climate weather atmosphere geology search signs liquid water polar caps underground addition tasked looking remains previously lost mars polar spacecraft found beginning main science operations completed probe extended mission communication navigation system launch august launched aboard rocket upper stage rocket completed burns minute period placed transfer orbit mars cruised space seven half months reaching mars route scientific instruments experiments tested ensure proper reaching mars trajectory correction maneuvers planned fifth emergency maneuver discussed trajectory correction maneuvers necessary saved pounds fuel usable extended mission began approaching mars march passing southern hemisphere altitude kilometers main engines burned minutes slow probe meters second tank colder expected reduced pressure fuel tank psi reduced pressure caused engine thrust diminished automatically compensated extending burn time seconds completion placed highly elliptical polar orbit period approximately hours shortly point orbit closest mars surface planet center point orbit mars surface planet center march began process step procedure cuts half fuel needed achieve lower circular orbit shorter period planet earth week drop orbit altitude altitude depends thickness atmosphere atmospheric density changes seasons second minor altitude maintained altitude earth months reduce orbit kilometres way heat spacecraft dip atmosphere slow spacecraft process complete edge atmosphere august september fired twice fine tune final nearly circular orbit approximately surface period minutes radar deployed september scientific instruments tested turned prior solar conjunction occurred october november conjunction ended primary science phase began november nasa announced successful test communications relay nasa spirit point origin transmission acted relay data earth timeline september took high resolution image science orbit image said resolve items small feet diameter october nasa released detailed pictures victoria crater opportunity rim november problems began surface operation spacecraft instruments stepping mechanism mars climate multiple occasions resulting field view slightly position december normal operations instrument suspended strategy allows instrument continue making intended observations increase noise resulting bad observed operation camera longer warm time issue cause unknown return continues return images enabled discoveries geology mars foremost announcement banded terrain observations indicating presence action liquid carbon dioxide water surface mars recent geological past able photograph phoenix descent continued experience recurring problems including spontaneous culminating month shut spacecraft august december engineers determined cause created new software help problem march passed significant milestone having transmitted data earth sent earth combined august passed gale crater landing site mission phase captured image camera curiosity descending parachute nasa reported mars reconnaissance mars odyssey chance study october july placed new orbit provide communications support arrival insight mars mission september maneuver engine burn lasted seconds instruments cameras radar included science facility instruments use data engineering collect science data technology experiments test demonstrate new equipment future missions expected obtain images year camera camera reflecting largest carried deep space mission resolution altitude comparison satellite images earth generally available resolution satellite images google maps available collects images color bands blue green red near infrared red color images wide wide onboard computer reads lines time ground speed images potentially unlimited length practically length limited computer memory capacity nominal maximum size images image compressed transmission release general public website format facilitate mapping potential landing sites produce stereo pairs images topography calculated accuracy built camera context camera provides images resolution designed provide context maps targeted observations mosaic large areas mars monitor number locations changes time acquire stereo coverage key regions potential future landing sites consist focal length wide line array instrument takes pictures wide internal memory store image long loading main computer camera built operated mapped mars february found impacts pound kilogram entry ballast masses landing curiosity camera mars color wide angle relatively low resolution camera views surface mars visible bands day collects images produces global map resolutions map provides daily weather report mars helps characterize seasonal annual variations maps presence water atmosphere camera built operated degree lens seven color filters directly single compact reconnaissance imaging mars instrument visible near infrared produce detailed maps surface mars operates measures spectrum channels wide resolution altitude identify minerals chemicals indicative past present existence water surface mars materials include iron characteristic patterns visible infrared energy mars climate mars climate looks horizontally atmosphere order global atmosphere vertical variations visible near infrared channel far infrared channels selected purpose observes atmosphere horizon mars viewed breaking vertical taking measurements slice measurements assembled daily global weather maps basic weather temperature pressure humidity dust density instrument supplied nasa california utilizes technological advances achieve measurement objectives heavier larger instrument originally developed mars observer mars climate missions radar shallow radar experiment designed probe internal structure polar ice caps planet wide information underground layers ice rock possibly liquid water accessible surface uses radio waves range allows resolve layers thin maximum depth horizontal resolution designed operate conjunction lower resolution greater depth engineering instruments addition imaging equipment carries variety engineering instruments measures variations field variations spacecraft velocity velocity changes detected measuring shifts radio signals received earth package includes sensitive onboard atmospheric density mars communications package software defined radio provides flexible platform evolving relay capabilities designed communicate spacecraft approach land operate mars addition protocol controlled inter spacecraft data links provides data collection open loop recording highly accurate timing service based information approaching vehicles final descent targeting descent landing trajectory recreation information landed vehicles enable scientists accurately determine surface location mars spacecraft currently mars utilize earlier generation relay radio providing similar functions radio proven functionality information spacecraft curiosity optical navigation camera images background stars precisely determine orbit moon imaging mission critical included technology test future landing spacecraft optical navigation camera tested successfully february march proposal search small dust rings old engineering data structure workers denver assembled spacecraft structure attached instruments instruments constructed arizona laurel maryland rome san_diego total cost spacecraft million usd structure carbon aluminum plates fuel tank takes volume mass spacecraft provides structural integrity spacecraft total mass dry mass power systems gets electrical power solar panels independently axes left right rotation solar panel measures covered individual cells high efficiency triple junction solar cells able convert sun energy directly electricity connected produce total output volts mars panels produces power contrast panels generate comparable earth orbit closer sun hydrogen batteries power spacecraft facing sun battery energy storage capacity hours range batteries voltage constraints spacecraft allows operators extend battery life valuable capability given battery drain common causes long term satellite failure planners batteries capacities required lifetime spacecraft electronic systems main computer million bit radiation hardened version specially built successor comparison modern extremely reliable function solar ravaged deep space operating system software extensive fault protection monitoring data stored flash memory module consisting memory chips capacity memory capacity actually large considering data acquired example single image camera large telecommunications system best digital communication system sent deep space far time capacity approaching turbo codes communications package software defined radio provides flexible platform evolving relay capabilities designed communicate spacecraft approach land operate mars system consists large metres antenna transmit data band frequencies demonstrates use band higher data rates maximum transmission speed mars projected high rate times higher previous mars spacecraft carries band backup small deep space smaller low gain present lower rate communication special events launch mars orbit focusing dishes transmit receive direction important backup system ensure reached main antenna pointed away earth band demonstration purposes lack spectrum band future high rate deep space missions use nasa deep space network implemented band receiving capabilities complexes madrid beam antenna cruise phase spacecraft tracked times proving functionality band tests planned science phase switch failed limiting band high gain antenna single fails high speed band communications lost remaining backup functionality band capability failed problem decided halt band demonstrations hold remaining capability reserve november passed science data returned data returned mission times total data returned nasa missions managed nasa past years propulsion attitude control spacecraft uses imp gal gal fuel tank filled fuel pressure regulated adding gas external tank seventy percent functioning rocket engine board large produce lbf thrust total lbf meant mainly originally designed mars surveyor medium produce lbf thrust trajectory correction maneuvers attitude control orbit finally small produce lbf thrust attitude control normal operations reaction wheels precise attitude control activities requiring highly stable platform high resolution imaging small motions cause image wheel axis motion fourth wheel backup case wheels fails wheel weighs spun fast rpm order determine spacecraft orbit facilitate maneuvers sixteen sun sensors placed spacecraft solar direction relative frame star digital cameras map position stars provide nasa axis knowledge spacecraft orientation attitude primary backup miniature measurement unit provided measures changes spacecraft attitude non induced changes linear velocity combination ring laser systems critically important able point camera high precision order high quality pictures mission requires specifically designed minimize vibrations spacecraft allow instruments images caused vibrations discoveries photographs water ice ice cap measured results published radar measurements north polar ice cap determined volume water ice cap cubic kilometres equal earth greenland ice sheet ice exposed new article journal science september reported new mars excavated relatively pure water ice exposed ice gradually fades away new found dated camera identification ice confirmed board mars reconnaissance ice found total locations locations locations ice debris radar results suggested features termed debris contain large amounts water ice interest days material surrounding cliffs convex topography gentle slope suggests flow away steep source cliff addition debris surface rock glaciers earth provided strong evidence glaciers covered thin layer debris rocks dust strong reflection base observed suggesting pure water ice makes bulk formation reflections based experiments phoenix studies orbit water ice known exist surface mars far north south high latitudes deposits data mars global surveyor mars reconnaissance scientists found widespread deposits minerals evidence suggests deposits formed mineral enriched waters research suggests lakes scattered large areas surface usually minerals come solution ahead found surface places minerals held life forms furthermore areas preserve traces ancient life minerals group scientists team reported different classes minerals formed presence water different types called found locations identified included aluminum iron rocks containing found basin belong class life developed areas found contain researchers identified minerals minerals found mars mineral classes formed right sufficient water permit life grow mars reconnaissance cameras photographed number northern polar cap occurring spacecraft flowing water august nasa announced detected appeared flowing water surface mars september finding confirmed special nasa news conference
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter