The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) is a spacecraft designed to orbit and study Mars from close range. It was launched on August 12, 2005, and began orbiting Mars on March 10, 2006. The MRO has a host of scientific instruments on board, including cameras, spectrometers, radar, and an ultraviolet telescope. These instruments allow the MRO to study the Martian surface in unprecedented detail, providing new insights into the planet’s geology, climate, and potential for habitability.
The MRO mission is managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), with support from the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center and Ames Research Center. The orbiter was built by Lockheed Martin Space Systems.
The primary goals of the MRO mission are to search for evidence of past or present water activity on Mars; to characterize the climate of Mars; to investigate potential landing sites for future missions; and to collect data that will help assess the planet’s habitability. In addition to its science objectives, the MRO also serves as a communications relay between Earth and other spacecraft at Mars, including rovers and landers.