Images: On a path to Mars
liftoff
The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter begins on Friday a seven-month journey to the Red Planet to search for water. The orbiter is twice the size and packs better technology than any previous probe sent to Mars. This is also the first spacecraft to use "aerobraking," a six-month process where the craft uses friction from the planet to settle into its final orbit.
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
In this artist's conception of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, note the thin, long pole in the center. That's the SHARAD antenna, which will be able to view liquid or water in up to 1 kilometer of the Mars crust. Also center, covered by blankets, is the HRISE camera, which will provide the highest-resolution photos to date.
testing
During testing of the craft, workers stabilize the crane holding one of the enormous billboard-size solar panels.
size chart
This drawing illustrates that the newest Mars orbiter will be double the size of the satellites currently in operation around the Red Planet. MRO is the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and MGS is the Mars Global Surveyor.
seeking water
The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter will study the surface of Mars for water, including this meteor impact crater in Newton Basin where frost can be seen on the walls and sand dunes on the floor.
Chasma Boreale
The Chasma Boreale is a trough in the north polar cap area. The spring photo shows dark sand emerging from bright frost from the winter.
Viking 1
Mars exploration has come a long way in a short time. This is the first photograph sent back from the surface of Mars by the Viking 1 lander on July 20, 1976.