Mars Reconnaisance Orbiter (MRO) (U.S.)

Updated May 8, 2019 | Infoplease Staff

Destination: Mars orbit. Launched: Aug. 12, 2005. Arrival: March 2006. Mission: To study the history of water on Mars. From its Mars orbit, the mission will take pictures, analyze minerals, study the weather and atmosphere, probe the surface for water ice, and assist spacecraft navigation and communications. MRO is expected to collect more data than all previous Mars missions combined. The primary mission is slated to end in 2010.