Interplanetary Robots: MRO
NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter entered orbit in 2006 with a suite of instruments on board. These instruments analyse Martian surface and monitor weather all day. This combination makes MRO useful in deciding future mission landing sites.
MRO transmits an insane amount of data to us. So much so that MRO’s transmissions will soon exceed all data from all missions ever, combined! Crazy, isn’t it?
There are 2 important cameras on board: the wide angle Context cam (CTX) and telescope HiRISE. The latter has thrice as much precision as GPS! MRO’s radar fully calculated amount of water ice on poles to be 1/3rd the size of Greenland. CTX camera has showed craters exposing ice below dusty surface. HiRISE images are abs. incredible. It has photographed Martian avalanches and more. It has also taken pictures of all the other landers.
While that is an impressive resume for an orbiter, MRO’s magnum opus is the detection of present day liquid water on Mars. Recurring Slope Lineae, which are seasonal flows, made waves in 2015.
