Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

Launch Success

Liftoff Time (GMT)

11:43:00

Friday August 12, 2005

Watch Replay

Official Livestream

Mission Details

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Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

Wiki

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.

Heliocentric Orbit

1 Payload

2,180 kilograms

Rocket

Retired
Atlas V 401

Active 2002 to 2022

United Launch Alliance logo

Manufacturer

ULA

Price

$109.00 million

Rocket

Diameter: 3.81m

Height: 58.3m

Payload to Orbit

LEO: 9,797 kg

GTO: 4,750 kg

Liftoff Thrust

3,826 Kilonewtons

Fairing

Diameter: 4.2m

Height: 13.8m

Stages

2

Launch Site

SLC-41

Cape Canaveral SFS, Florida, USA

Fastest Turnaround

15 days 22 hours

Stats

Atlas V


6th

Mission

2nd

Mission of 2005

2005


32nd

Orbital launch attempt