Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO)

Palomar · 2004-12-07 07:09:14

http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.htm … 619]Camera delivered :up:

The camera that will take thousands of the sharpest, most detailed pictures of Mars ever produced from an orbiting spacecraft was delivered today for installation on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter...
HiRISE will produce ultra-sharp photographs over 6 kilometer (3.5 mile) swaths of the martian landscape with a best imaging at 25 centimeters (10 inches) per pixel

--Cindy

SpaceNut · 2004-12-07 07:20:06

yup pictures that are high resolution will be a must for any future manned landings but what of the other instrumentation that it will carry have not heard much of anything.

djellison · 2004-12-07 09:14:36

yup pictures that are high resolution will be a must for any future manned landings but what of the other instrumentation that it will carry have not heard much of anything.

Excellent webcase that talks thru all the instruments

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/lectures … /oct04.cfm

Good descriptions here as well
http://mars4.jpl.nasa.gov/mro/mission/s … nstru.html

For many - HiRISE is far from being the most interesting instrument on board. I'm not one of them though - BRING ME .3m RES IMAGES

Doug

Yang Liwei Rocket · 2004-12-13 18:57:40

good links

SpaceNut · 2004-12-14 09:28:57

The 2005 Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter will search for evidence that water persisted on the surface of Mars for a long period of time. While other missions have shown that water flowed across the surface in Mars' history, the mystery remains of whether water was ever present long enough for life.

Sort of hard to do from orbit, Life is not in the atmosphere.

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter will increase tenfold the number of spots surveyed close up, and will identify obstacles that could jeopardize the safety of future landers and rovers.
One of the cameras is the largest ever flown on a planetary mission and will be able to look at small-scale areas, perfect for identifying small features.

A must for the safety of any crew landing or probe agreed.

The orbiter's telecommunications system will establish a crucial service for future spacecraft. This "interplanetary Internet" can be used by numerous international spacecraft.

Another plus especially if telerobotics is used in any way to prepare the way for the future of manned flight to the red planet.

SHARAD (Shallow Radar)
This sounding radar will probe beneath the Martian surface to see if water ice is present at depths greater than one meter.

Another must for the long term colonization and of cost lowering for Mars manned missions.

SpaceNut · 2004-12-21 08:24:01

Mars reconnaissance mission hits milestone Camera is mounted on orbiter, readied for August launch

The HiRISE camera and other Reconnaissance Orbiter science instruments will search for deposits of minerals that form in water over long periods of time.

Gee I thought that the rovers were doing a good job at that?

The orbiter findings will help space agency scientists select landing sites for future surface missions, including an $850 million mobile laboratory set for launch in 2009.

They make it sound like they do not know which sites they want to investigate first.

Assembly and testing of the orbiter is 60 percent to 70 percent complete, McNeill said. MRO is scheduled to be shipped to Florida's Cape Canaveral around May 1.

Well it sure takes a long time to get things done. It even took since the 7th to just put the camera in.

In addition to its mapping mission, Reconnaissance Orbiter will act as a communications relay for the 2009 surface laboratory and for NASA's Denver-built Phoenix lander, set for launch in 2007.

Excellent planning ahead for comunicational needs.

GraemeSkinner · 2005-01-20 04:48:10

http://www.space.com/businesstechnology … 19.html]Mr O Article on Space.com

Graeme

SpaceNut · 2005-01-31 06:02:31

Recon Orbiter Readied to Provide Cornerstone Science For Planetary Exploration Strategy

The spacecraft's mission is to obtain extremely detailed global imagery, composition and weather data around which to focus the next 15-20 years of Mars robotic lander planning and operations. MRO will have a resolution at least five times better than the best resolution from current Mars orbiters.
The goal of the $700-million mission is to create a comprehensive foundation of knowledge for the Mars side of NASA's new exploration vision and to accelerate the search for evidence of life on the red planet.

The expected 34 terabits of imagery and data is a factor of 10 or more increase over the data return from each of the current Mars missions.

The spectral capabilities of MRO's instruments are to characterize important water-related mineral.

The MRO data will be used to find sites for the 2007 Phoenix north polar stationary lander, the 2009 Mars Science Laboratory rover and the unmanned sample return rovers planned after 2010.
MRO is also expected to provide data that will begin to identify candidate landing sites for manned Mars missions envisioned after 2020.

Palomar · 2005-01-31 13:20:47

The HiRISE camera and other Reconnaissance Orbiter science instruments will search for deposits of minerals that form in water over long periods of time.
Gee I thought that the rovers were doing a good job at that?

*Well, despite the phenomenal job the MERs are and have been doing, they are much more limited (speed/distance).

The orbiter findings will help space agency scientists select landing sites for future surface missions, including an $850 million mobile laboratory set for launch in 2009.
They make it sound like they do not know which sites they want to investigate first.

*Decisions, decisions. :;): So many they'd like to investigate, must divide the pie a bit I suppose.

--Cindy

SpaceNut · 2005-04-05 09:51:54

Well we can build a probe but until the rocket that it can launch on is built we are just waiting for the day to arrive for liftoff.
Well that day has come [url=http://www.lockheedmartin.com/wms/findPage.do?dsp=fec&ci=16692&rsbci=0&fti=111&ti=0&sc=400]
LOCKHEED MARTIN DELIVERS ATLAS V TO CAPE CANAVERAL FOR NASA'S MARS RECONNAISSANCE ORBITER MISSION
Atlas Launch Team Begins Preparations for the Next Mission to Mars in August[/url]

The Atlas V, designated AV-007, arrived at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., where the launch team will now begin preparations for the August 10 liftoff.

Palomar · 2005-04-05 09:56:09

Well we can build a probe but until the rocket that it can launch on is built we are just waiting for the day to arrive for liftoff.
Well that day has come http://www.lockheedmartin.com/wms/findP … =0&sc=400]
LOCKHEED MARTIN DELIVERS ATLAS V TO CAPE CANAVERAL FOR NASA'S MARS RECONNAISSANCE ORBITER MISSION
Atlas Launch Team Begins Preparations for the Next Mission to Mars in August
The Atlas V, designated AV-007, arrived at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., where the launch team will now begin preparations for the August 10 liftoff.

*Both stages delivered to Cape Canaveral in March.

When fully stacked, the Atlas V AV-007 launch vehicle with the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter safely contained inside the payload fairing will stand almost 19 stories tall at a height of 188 feet.

Wow!

Would love to see the launch in person. Only 4 months away; terrific!

--Cindy

SpaceNut · 2005-04-18 07:29:41

Short article so will post all:
Lockheed's Atlas 5 rocket to lift Mars orbiter

Lockheed Martin has delivered an Atlas 5 rocket to NASA that is scheduled to lift the space agency's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter in August.

The rocket was shipped to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station from Denver in two stages. It will be assembled and tested in preparation for an Aug. 10 launch.

The 19-story rocket will carry what will be the largest spacecraft to ever orbit Mars. Lockheed is also building the orbiter and plans to deliver it to Kennedy Space Center later this month.

The $500 million project will probe beneath Mars' surface with penetrating radar, setting the stage for the next ground-based spacecraft, the Phoenix lander, which will be launched in 2007

The August launch will be the third Atlas mission of 2005. The Atlas program, which began in the 1960s, has achieved 76 consecutive successful flights.

Palomar · 2005-05-02 14:53:10

http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/05 … ml]Neither rain nor hail nor sleet nor snow...

*Well...sort of. Moving day for MRO.

--Cindy

SpaceNut · 2005-05-02 20:24:31

News release from nasa NASA's Next Mars Spacecraft Arrives in Florida for Final Checkout
Much of the same data but a few more details.

SpaceNut · 2005-06-01 05:07:44

Just wanted to share the photo of the solar panel inspection.
Reaching for the Sun

SpaceNut · 2005-06-02 12:20:23

Why is it best to launch in august? Here is the answer in Approaching Mars Earth and Mars will have a breathtaking close encounter in October 2005.

Because it takes 6+ months to reach Mars, the best time to start the trip is a month or so before closest approach--thus, August. MRO will arrive in March 2006, enter orbit, and begin a 2-year mission to map the red planet in greater detail than ever before with the HiRISE camera .

SpaceNut · 2005-06-24 09:48:23

NASA Expendable Launch Vehicle Status Report: E05-04

Mission: Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO)
Launch Vehicle: Lockheed Martin Atlas V 401
Launch Pad: Space Launch Complex 41 (SLC-41), Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS), Fla.
Launch Date: August 10, 2005
Launch Window: 7:53:58 to 9:53:58 a.m. (EDT)

Palomar · 2005-07-14 06:12:55

http://www.spacedaily.com/news/mars-mro-05d.html]Update

*Launch date Sept. 11? Power-on testing going well. Fueling is scheduled for July 18.

A countdown wet dress rehearsal with the launch vehicle fully fueled was completed July 7.

So far so good, huh?

--Cindy

Palomar · 2005-07-22 10:46:54

http://www.universetoday.com/am/publish … 005]Launch is "GO"

*...for August 10.

Gee whiz, I must be losing my marbles. The article I posted in the post above this one said Sept. 11 (kind of hard to forget that date). Yet when I click that post's link, it's the same article as this one.

I give up...(temporarily anyway)...

--Cindy

Palomar · 2005-08-04 05:57:54

http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.htm … 537]Update

*Planned launch is still August 10, 7:54 a.m. EDT. The launch window extends for 105 minutes. If postponed, they'll try again on August 11 at 7:50 a.m.

--Cindy

SpaceNut · 2005-08-04 06:32:24

Then again it will be just one of many to come, which will explore the red planet Mars.
Scientists hope third-time-lucky for mission to Mars

WELSH scientists are playing a vital role in Nasa's 17th mission to Mars next month.
They are hoping it will be a case of third-time-lucky for one of the instruments onboard - the Mars Climate Sounder.
Two previous attempts to put this instrument into orbit around Mars have been besieged by troubles

The main aim of the MRO mission is to seek out the history of water on Mars.

Mission timeline:
August 10, 2005: Launch
August 2005 to March 2006: Voyage through space to Mars
March 2006: Approaching the Red Planet and putting the spacecraft into orbit around Mars
March 2006 to November 2006: Aerobraking, slowing down in the Martian atmosphere and setting into a lower, circular orbit for science data collecting
November 2006 to November 2008: Gathering information about Mars through the day-to-day activities of the orbiter.
The camera on board (HiRISE) will provide much higher resolution that any before and is expected, at a later date, to be used to search for missing spacecrafts such as Beagle 2 and Nasa's lost Mars Polar Lander.

Palomar · 2005-08-09 19:41:09

*From spaceflightnow.com:

Mars launch postponed by technical problem
Launch of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has been postponed 24 hours due to a technical issue. The launch window on Thursday extends from 7:50 to 9:35 a.m. EDT (1150-1335 GMT).

Mission Status Center Updates/Feed:

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/atlas/av007/status.html

--Cindy

Palomar · 2005-08-11 07:31:08

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u … ter]Launch postponed until Friday

*A glitch in computer software; concerns monitoring of fueling, etc.

--Cindy

Palomar · 2005-08-12 06:59:01

MRO is on its way!

*Launch a complete success. Yay!

--Cindy

Shaun Barrett · 2005-08-13 01:30:01

Excellent!
But is there cause for concern, though, in this article: "Giant probe heads off for Mars"?

The launch was, delayed because of an error:-

Engineers tracked down the problem to a check-out conducted after lightning struck just a kilometre from the launch pad. The check-out involved simulating a full fuel tank, but the computers were not reset afterwards.
So they still thought the Centaur tank was full and refused to allow technicians to pump in the liquid hydrogen needed for launch. After resetting the software, technicians had no problem loading fuel.

I hope the fact that the computers weren't reset doesn't mean there are other things which weren't done; other little errors we've yet to hear about .. ! :?

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