   | |  | | ![]() Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Launched! | | | | I'm a bit late with reporting this, I know, and I'm sorry for that, but the first next-generation Mars probe - the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) - has been successfully launched towards the red planet today, marking the beginning of a generation of crafts that may eventually lead to the first manned mission decades from now.
The MRO is a all-in-one tool: it's a weather satellite, a communication relay, a geological mapper, atmospheric probe, and more. If everything goes by the plan, arrival is expected within seven months, with another seven months required for aero braking and fine-tuning it's orbit until it reaches the correct altitude for scientific operations. | | | | For more information:
The official press release concerning the launch:
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2005-133
Space.com news article:
http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/050812_mro_launch.html
And the official homepage of the mission here:
http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/mro/index.html | | | |  | |  | |  |
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| written by Pomelos on Aug 12, 2005 21:25 |
 | |  | | ![]() I was wondering whether you were going to post about or not, Stargazer. 
Speaking of recent astronomical news, you still have to write a post about (87) Antiope, by the way.  | |  | |  |
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 | |  | | ![]() Mars Orbital Insertion | | | | Time sure flies, doesn't it? At least, so does the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), which has been spending about the last half year in solar orbit, adrift between worlds. But now, it has almost arrived at its new home, Mars.
Coming up on the 10th of March, the most risky parts of this mission will begin with the Mars Orbital Insertion (MOI). MRO will have to fire its main engine for approximately half an hour to slow itself enough to be captured by Mars' gravity, and this is going to be some nail biting moments, as it will be out of contact with Earth most of this time while it slings around the far side of the red planet.
If successful, the MOI will put the probe into a highly elongated orbit around Mars, which will have to be adjusted with hundreds of aerobraking dips into Mars' atmosphere throughout this year, ending in October. We'll hopefully be ready to start with the science gathering at around November, when the probe has gotten into a optimal two-hour orbit.
Here's crossing my fingers, legs, toes, and anything else crossable and hoping for the best. Whatever happens, we're in for a hell of a ride. | | | | More information can be found here:
The official Press Release:
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2006-026
Space.com coverage:
http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/060224_mro_update.html | |  | |  |
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 | | | | ![]()  | Space.com said: | | ... there are software patches onboard the spacecraft that have not been used before ... |
* shudders | | | | |
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└> last changed by Barebones on March 10, 2006 at 22:59
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| | | | ![]() Orbital Operations | | | | As Barebones said, we are successfully in orbit. Not just that, but everything went totally picture perfect; just like in the simulations. No unexpected delays, no malfunctions, and no anomalies. This success marks the beginning of the next generation of Mars recognizance and research; MRO is the first in what will be an armada of probe missions - landers and orbiters alike - which should, if everything goes as planned, eventually lead to the first manned expedition to the red planet.
As for MRO, don't expect any high-res images of the Martian surface just that; the orbit is not yet optimal for science operations. Starting on March 29, the probe will spend the better part of the next half year dipping in and out of the Martian atmosphere, slowly rounding out its orbit.
But when the science does start sometime around late October or November, we can expect amazing things to come: MRO carries state-of-the-art equipment, including a radar designed to scan for underground basins of water, high-tech cameras that should be able to pick out objects the size of an office desk, and a wide range of other analysis gear. The mission is expected to bring more science than any of the previous missions combined.
The mission science goals are in effects:
- To map the Martian surface in unprecedented detail
- To search for, map and identify the water-supplies of the planet; both the frozen water on the surface, and potential subsurface liquid reservoirs
- To analyse the Martian atmosphere, and create a more detailed map of its composition than ever before
- To count as an communications relay platform to and from Earth for current and future missions
- To find landing sites for future surface missions. | | | | More information on the successful orbital insertion can be found here, at the official press release:
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2006-034
And here, at Space.com's coverage:
http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/060310_mro_mars_arrival.html | | | | |
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 | |  | | ![]() Update on March 21st, 2006 | | | | As said, the MRO carries the most advanced suite of cameras and instruments ever sent to another world, and in about two days, this equipment will get the first run for the money. On March 23, we'll have our first images of the Martian surface taken by the new orbiter!
Details can be found here:
http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/060321_mro_update.html
While the MRO is not in optimal orbit for science operations, I think we can still expect some nicely high-res and detailed pictures, though they won't be anywhere near representative to the pictures we will get once the science starts for real in November.
Further updates will be posted when available. | |  | |  |
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| | | | ![]() First Light; March 23 - March 24, 2006 | | | | The first images from the new Mars Orbiter has been released! Now, as was mentioned, these images are for testing and calibration purposes only, and they are not representative to the amount of detail we'll get once MRO is in the proper orbit. That said, these raw images are still among the most spectacularly detailed, nearly crystal clear shots we have of the Martian surface to date!
Links:
Space.com:
http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/060324_mro_first_images.html
NASA/JPL:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/MRO/multimedia/pia08013.html
Also, while MRO is slated to take a couple of more shots tomorrow (Saturday), these images will be for further calibration and testing, and is not likely to be made available to the public.
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└> last changed by Stargazer on March 24, 2006 at 19:23
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| | | | ![]() It's worth noticing that those images were taken from an altitude of about 2500 Km, much higher than the final working orbit of 300 Km. | | | | |
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 | |  | | ![]() Update on 31-08-06:
Aerobraking Phase Accomplished | | | | The Aerobraking Phase of the MRO mission is now officially over. During the end of spring and throughout the summer, the probe has been skipping in and out of Mars' atmosphere to reduce its speed in an energy-efficient manner by using atmospheric friction. This process has finally been brought to end with one of the longest engine burns since orbital capture nearly six months ago. In total, the probe has now done 445 orbits around the red planet, and countless more are now granted to come.
Over the coming couple of weeks, we will see further engine burns to fine tune the final science-gathering orbit. Come late October, the probe should be ready to start with its primary observation goals.
Details can be found here:
http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/060830_mro_brake.html
And here, at the official webpage:
http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/mro/ | |  | |  |
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| written by Mcwgogs on Aug 31, 2006 17:04 |
 | |  | | <cd/gifs/mcwgogs/applauding> | |  | |  |
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 | |  | | ![]() Update on 30-09-06:
Science Operations | | | | And so it begins. Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is in the final science orbit and ready to start with its primary objectives. The first extreme-resolution images from the advanced HIRISE camera have already been beamed to Earth, showing part of a branch of the gigantic Valles Marineris canyon complex called "Ius Chasma". The image is available online here.
Mars’ orbit is about to take it behind the sun, relative to the Earth, which will limit communication between the two planets, but come November, we can expect data to really start flooding in from MRO. This marks the dawn of a new era of Mars exploration! | | | | Further information can be found here:
http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/060929_mars_upclose.html
And here, at the official JPL press release:
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2006-117 | |  | |  |
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| written by Speeder on Sep 30, 2006 17:37 |
| | | | ![]() * wonders if with the sat resolution, is possible to take a photo of the two hovers... Also, wonder if is possible to relay the data of the hovers, so they can use less energy while sending data to us... * | | | | |
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to get the craft into its working orbit.