Mars Reconnaissance Orbits Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mars Reconnaissance Orbits - Essay Example Modeling of the MRO came after NASAs successful Mars Global Surveyor that was designed to conduct Mars surveillance from orbit. In its earlier specifications, the satellite design included a large camera for taking high resolution fascinating images of the Mars. This made Jim Garvin, a Mars exploration program scientist with NASA to predict that MRO would be like an orbit microscope. A visible-near-infrared spectrograph was also to be incorporated in the spacecraft. Five months later, after aero braking, the MRO entered began its major science phase after entering its final science orbit. In this way, it joined five other existing spacecrafts in the vicinity of Mars that were either on the planet surface or in orbit. These other active spacecrafts were: two Mars Exploration Rovers, Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Odyssey and Mars Express. MRO is equipped with a set of NASA’s most powerful scientific instruments used in the analysis of minerals, stratigraphy, ice of Mars and landforms. They include instruments such as radar, cameras and spectrometers. They are significantly used in monitoring of daily surface and atmospheric conditions of the Red Planet, and hosting of new MRO telecommunication systems for further future missions. It is probably remembered for discovery of ice and other startling discoveries on Mars such as dust devils going across the Mars surface and changing of sand dunes in real time as watched by its powerful cameras. The MRO has also helped to establish the cause for the damage of Phoenix spacecraft that went out of touch with the earth and it has generally helped in other spacecrafts to stay in touch with the Earth. The prime scientific mission of the MRO ended in December 2010, even though NASA still believes that the spacecraft can still do well until 2015. Many new things have been learned about the Red Planet courtesy of the spacecraft.