Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for 10 years explores Mars – Urania – Progress of Astronomy

NASA reminded that the space probe Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for 10 years is in orbit around Mars. Of the seven currently active Mars missions it is the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has sent the most data.

The launch of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) from Earth was 12 August 2005. After seven months of travel, the probe came March 10, 2006 at orbit around Mars. To do this she had to run for 27 minutes its six main rocket engines to slow down and give to capture the gravity of the planet Mars. In the initial period of three weeks probe circled the distant orbit of 43000 km from the planet. For half a year make any aerobraking, many times “tripped” on the upper layers of the atmosphere to gradually lower the orbit in September 2006 orbit proceeded already at an altitude of 250 to 316 km.

When braking atmospheric (aerohamowaniu) helped among others solar panels, which have a length of about two buses. Although their primary task is to provide the energy needed to operate scientific instruments and the probe. The power supplied by the solar panels is about 2000 watts.

On equipped probe also has an antenna with a diameter of 3 meters, which is used to transmit data to Earth. Interestingly, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter sent to far more data than all other interplanetary missions combined, and more than the currently active probes and rovers on Mars. The amount of transferred data is 264 terabits.

The transmitted data, in particular photographs of the surface. Here, the probe is available cameras with different resolutions. Its primary camera obfotografowała already 95 percent of the surface of the Red Planet, and these photographs allow you to distinguish the details of the size of a tennis court. In turn, the high resolution camera provides images where you can see the structure of the size of a desk, and so far received to cover 5 percent of the planet’s surface. Researchers also benefit from imaging spectrometer, which collected data on the chemical composition of 98 percent of the surface with an accuracy of 100 to 200 meters per pixel.

The purpose of the mission was to study the climate on Mars – current and former, and the search for water. Last year, thanks to the data collected by the probe, it turned out that it is currently on Mars may be liquid water (seasonal). This was possible thanks to a combination of factors: a good resolution photos, the duration of the mission to track changes in different seasons for several Mars years, and the use of imaging spectroscopy. The probe also allowed to detect beneath the surface geological structures, scanning the atmosphere and study Martian weather every day. All scientific instruments operate today.

There is another important aspect of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The probe has provided and continues to provide support to other Mars missions. For rovers exploring the surface of the planet functions as a relay data to Earth, and pictures taken from orbit to allow typing routes for rovers and the landing site for future probes.