Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) is a multipurpose spacecraft designed to conduct reconnaissance and exploration of Mars from orbit. Mission objectives include observing the climate of Mars, investigating geologic forces, providing reconnaissance of future landing sites, and relaying data from surface missions back to Earth. To support these objectives, the MRO carries different scientific instruments, including three cameras, two spectrometers, and a radar. As of January 23, 2023, the MRO has returned over 445 terabits of data, helped choose safe landing sites for NASA's Mars landers, and discovered ice and possible flowing salty water on the surface of Mars.