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Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter facts for kids

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Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft model.png
Artist's impression of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft.
Mission type Mars orbiter
Operator NASA / JPL
Website
Mission duration Primary mission: 2 years

Elapsed: 19 years, 2 months and 21 days from launch
18 years, 7 months and 23 days (6630 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
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter insignia
Official insignia of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter mission.

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is a NASA spacecraft. It launched August 12, 2005 from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and 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.


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See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter para niños

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