View source for Timeline of Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

{{short description|none}} <!-- "none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]] -->
{{Main|Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter}}
[[File:Animation of Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter trajectory.gif|thumb |right |Animation of Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter{{'s}} trajectory from 12 August 2005 to 31 December 2007<br />{{legend2|magenta|[[Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter]]}}{{·}}{{legend2| RoyalBlue|[[Earth]]}}{{·}}{{legend2| Lime |[[Mars]]}} {{·}}{{legend2| Yellow |[[Sun]]}}]]
[[File:MRO Transfer Orbit 2.png|thumb|Transfer orbit from Earth to Mars. TCM-1 to TCM-4 denote the planned trajectory correction maneuvers.]]
'''Timeline for the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter''' (''MRO'') lists the significant events of the [[Rocket launch|launch]], [[aerobraking]], and transition phases as well as subsequent significant operational mission events; by date and brief description.

== Launch and cruise timeline ==
{{Wikinews|New Mars Orbiter arrives for launch | Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter enters Martian orbit}}
* April 30, 2005: the ''MRO'' spacecraft was delivered to the launch site.
* August 9, 2005: the August 10 [[launch window|launch opportunity]] was postponed because of reliability concerns over the [[Atlas V rocket|Atlas V]]'s [[gyroscopes]].
* August 10, 2005: concerns over the gyroscopes were resolved. Launch was scheduled for 7:50 am [[North American Eastern Standard Time Zone|EST]], August 11.
* August 11, 2005: concerns over weather cause a rescheduling of the launch to 9:00 am EST.  Conflicting sensor readings during fueling of the [[Centaur rocket|Centaur]] stage's [[liquid hydrogen]] fuel tank could not be corrected in time, causing the launch to be scrubbed and rescheduled for 7:43 am EST August 12.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cbs5.com/topstories/topstories_story_223092831.html |title=NASA Delays Mars Orbiter Launch (August 11, 2005) |work=CBS-5 – San Francisco |accessdate=May 27, 2006 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927183024/http://cbs5.com/topstories/topstories_story_223092831.html |archivedate=September 27, 2007 }}</ref>
* August 12, 2005: at 7:43 am EST, ''MRO'' was launched. There were no significant anomalies reported during launch and deployment into [[Transfer orbit|interplanetary transfer orbit]].
* August 15, 2005: '''[[Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter#MARCI (Mars Color Imager)|MARCI]]''' was tested and calibrated.
* August 25, 2005: at 15:19:32 [[Coordinated Universal Time|UTC]], ''MRO'' was 100 million kilometers from Mars.
* August 27, 2005: the first trajectory correction maneuver was executed. The burn used the same main thrusters that are needed for the orbital insertion maneuver and lasted 15 seconds. A velocity change of 7.8&nbsp;m/s was achieved.
* September 8, 2005: ''MRO'' completed calibration and testing of the '''[[HiRISE]]''' and '''[[Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter#CTX|CTX]]''' cameras by taking pictures of the [[Moon]] from 10 million kilometers away.
* November 18, 2005: ''MRO'' underwent its second scheduled course correction by firing its 6 medium thrusters for 20 seconds and changing its velocity by 75&nbsp;cm/s.
* January 29, 2006: at 06:59:24 [[Coordinated Universal Time|UTC]], ''MRO'' was 10 million kilometers from Mars.
* February 3, 2006: ''MRO'' began the Approach Phase, in preparation for orbital insertion.
<!-- this timeline should be considered closed, and new events should go in the orbital insertion and aerobraking timeline -->

== Orbital insertion/ Aerobraking timeline ==
[[File:Animation of Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter trajectory around Mars.gif|thumb |right |Animation of Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's trajectory around Mars from 10 March 2006 to 30 September 2007<br /> {{legend2|magenta|[[Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter]]}}{{·}}{{legend2|Lime|[[Mars]]}}]]
[[File:MRO-First Image-crop.jpg|thumb|right|First image of Mars from the HiRISE camera]]
* March 10, 2006: ''MRO'' successfully completed orbital insertion.
* March 23, 2006: test images from three of ''MRO'''s cameras were taken. HiRISE images were taken over the course of two orbits, the first returned from a height of 2500&nbsp;km (at about ten times poorer resolution than when the camera is in its final orbit). The CTX and MARCI cameras also took test images.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/060321_mro_update.html|title=New Mars Orbiter Ready for Action|work=[[Space.com]]|date=21 March 2006 |accessdate=March 24, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.space.com/news/060324_mro_hirise.html|title=First Images Beamed Back by Mars Probe|work=[[Space.com]]|date=24 March 2006 |accessdate=March 24, 2006}}</ref>
* March 30, 2006: ''MRO'' fired its intermediate thrusters for 58 seconds and dropped its [[periapsis]] by 94&nbsp;km, in preparation to begin [[aerobraking]].
* April 7, 2006: ''MRO'' begun a five-month-long Aerobraking Stage to reduce its highly elliptical orbit to a circular, low Mars orbit by mid-November 2006.
* August 30, 2006: Aerobraking ended with a 6-minute burn of ''MRO'''s Trajectory Correction Maneuver (TCM) thrusters.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/060830_mro_brake.html|title=Mars Orbiter Successfully Makes Big Burn|website=[[Space.com]] |date=30 August 2006 |accessdate=September 27, 2006}}</ref>
* September 5, 2006: The first of two burns to correctly position ''MRO'' into its final science orbit was performed.
* September 11, 2006: The second of two burns to finalize ''MRO'''s orbit was performed, officially ending the Aerobraking Stage.

== Transition timeline ==
* September 16, 2006: SHARAD was successfully deployed from ''MRO''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mro/newsroom/pressreleases/20060919a.html|title=A Ground-Piercing Radar on NASA Mars Orbiter Ready for Work|accessdate=September 27, 2006}}</ref>
* September 24, 2006: MCS and MARCI commenced operations, beginning a martian weather forecast.
* September 27, 2006: [[CRISM]] was powered on for the first time in space, and its lens cap was removed. In addition, SHARAD, HiRISE, and CTX were also powered on for the first time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jhuapl.edu/newscenter/pressreleases/2006/060927.asp|title=APL-Built Mineral-Mapping Imager Begins Mission at Mars|accessdate=September 27, 2006}}</ref>
* September 28, 2006: CRISM took its first picture at Mars.

== Mission events ==
* September 29, 2006: All instruments were tested from the science orbit.
* October 5, 2006: Instruments were powered down for the [[Solar Conjunction]].
* November 2006: Primary Science Phase (PSP) started.
* May 25, 2008: HiRISE photographs ''[[Phoenix (spacecraft)|Phoenix]]'' during its descent through the [[Atmosphere of Mars|Martian atmosphere]] to a landing in [[Vastitas Borealis]], making MRO the first probe to photograph another probe landing on the surface of another planet (not including the [[Moon]]).
* August 6, 2009: The spacecraft entered [[Safe mode (spacecraft)|safe mode]] and switched to its backup computer. This is the third incident in 2009 and the seventh since launch.<ref>{{cite web|title=Powerful Mars Orbiter Switches to Backup Computer |url=https://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20090808/sc_space/powerfulmarsorbiterswitchestobackupcomputer |author=Tariq Malik |publisher=SPACE.com |date=August 8, 2009 |accessdate=2009-08-18 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090812015342/http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20090808/sc_space/powerfulmarsorbiterswitchestobackupcomputer |archivedate=August 12, 2009 }}</ref>
* August 26, 2009: The spacecraft entered [[Safe mode (spacecraft)|safe mode]] for the second time in August. The spacecraft is in communication with Earth and is being kept in this safe mode with scientific and rover communications relay activities discontinued while engineers study the data.<ref>{{cite web
| title=Orbiter in Safe Mode Increases Communication Rate
| url=http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/mro/newsroom/pressreleases/20090828a.html
| publisher=NASA/JPL
| date=August 28, 2009
| accessdate=2009-08-31}}</ref>
* December 8, 2009: The spacecraft is finally being taken out of [[Safe mode (spacecraft)|safe mode]] that it has been in since August. The mission uploaded new software last week and plans to resume science operations once a check of all the science instruments is concluded in about a week.<ref>{{cite web
| title=Spacecraft Out of Safe Mode
| url=http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/mro/newsroom/pressreleases/20091208a.html
| publisher=NASA/JPL
| date=December 8, 2009
| accessdate=2009-12-23}}</ref>
* August 6, 2012: HiRISE photographs ''[[Curiosity rover|Curiosity]]'' during its descent through the Martian atmosphere to a landing in [[Gale crater]].
* April 11, 2013: NASA announced that HiRISE may have achieved imaging the 1971 [[Soviet space program|Soviet]] ''[[Mars 3]]'' lander (and rover) hardware on the surface of Mars.<ref name="NASA-20130411">{{cite web|url=http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/MRO/news/mro2013411.html|title=NASA Mars Orbiter Images May Show 1971 Soviet Lander|last=Webster|first=Guy|date=April 11, 2013|work=[[NASA]]|accessdate=April 12, 2013}}</ref> On 2 December 1971, Mars 3 became the first spacecraft to attain [[Soft landing (rocketry)|soft landing]] on Mars and the [[List of landings on extraterrestrial bodies|second one on another planet]], right after ''[[Venera 7]]'', transmitting the first image data ever from Mars. Prior to that, amateur astronomers found what may be the [[parachute]], [[retrorockets]], [[heat shield]] and [[Lander (spacecraft)|lander]] on MRO images from November 2007 and on 10 March 2013.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.3news.co.nz/Failed-Soviet-Mars-spacecraft-found/tabid/1160/articleID/294301/Default.aspx|title=Failed Soviet Mars spacecraft found?|date=April 15, 2013|work=3 News NZ|access-date=April 9, 2018|archive-date=February 1, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201172449/http://www.3news.co.nz/Failed-Soviet-Mars-spacecraft-found/tabid/1160/articleID/294301/Default.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* July 29, 2015: MRO successfully completed a maneuver to put the spacecraft in an adjusted orbit for supporting [[InSight|''InSight Mars lander'']] in its descent and landing (originally scheduled for September 28, 2016, later shifted to Nov. 26, 2018).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?release=2015-249&rn=news.xml&rst=4670|title=NASA Mars Orbiter Preparing for Mars Lander's 2016 Arrival|date=July 28, 2016|website=NASA/JPL|access-date=2018-04-09}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7095|title=Bound for Mars: Countdown to First Interplanetary Launch from California|date=April 6, 2018|website=NASA/JPL|access-date=2018-04-09}}</ref> It was the biggest orbital maneuver of MRO, since its arrival at Mars in 2006.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://newatlas.com/mars-orbiter-prepares-for-new-arrival/38665/|title=Mars orbiter prepares for next year's InSight lander arrival|date=July 29, 2015|website=New Atlas|access-date=2018-04-09}}</ref>
* October 20, 2016: [[Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter#CTX|CTX]] took a picture of two spots, not existing in this area on a previously taken image, what is supposed to show the site of [[European Space Agency|ESA]]'s crash landed ''[[Schiaparelli EDM lander|Schiaparelli lander]]'' (on October 19, 2016).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://mars.nasa.gov/resources/8131/|title=Signs of Schiaparelli Test Lander Seen From Orbit|date=October 21, 2016|website=NASA – Mars Exploration Program|access-date=2018-03-12}}</ref>
* January 9, 2018: HiRISE takes a reference picture of an area for further investigations due to unexpectedly blurred images, since 2017, delimiting its practical resolution.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/spaceimages/details.php?id=PIA22215|title=Slight Blurring in Newer Image from Mars Orbiter|date=February 9, 2018|website=NASA/JPL|access-date=2018-04-05}}</ref>
* Early February, 2018: MRO evaluated its test of a solely stellar navigation. Goal is to indefinitely swap over to this navigation mode to maintain the spacecraft's orientation without staying dependent on its aging gyroscopes and accelerometers.<ref name=":0" />
* February 15, 2018: The spacecraft turned into [[Safe mode (spacecraft)|safe mode]] again as it temporarily entered the martian shadow on its orbit. This response to sensing an unexpectedly low voltage indicates a problem with its aged batteries, which are essential for the solar-powered orbiter in this short period of shade in its orbit.<ref name=":1" />
* February 23, 2018: MRO was brought out of safe mode for diagnostics and solution finding. Meanwhile, science observations and its service as communications relay for the Mars rovers have been suspended.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/diagnostic-work-is-focus-for-resuming-service-and-exiting-safe-standby-status|title=Spacecraft Exits Safe Mode|date=February 23, 2018|website=NASA/JPL|access-date=2018-03-11}}</ref>
* June 13, 2018: A Perfect Storm of Science Awaits NASA<ref>{{Cite web |last=mars.nasa.gov |title=NASA Encounters the Perfect Storm for Science |url=https://mars.nasa.gov/news/8350/nasa-encounters-the-perfect-storm-for-science |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=NASA Mars Exploration |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Laboratory |first=Jet Propulsion |title=NASA encounters the perfect storm for science |url=https://phys.org/news/2018-06-nasa-encounters-storm-science.html |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=phys.org |language=en}}</ref>
* May 15, 2019: NASA's MRO completes 60,000th Mars Orbit Milestone.<ref>{{Cite web |last=mars.nasa.gov |title=NASA's MRO Completes 60,000 Trips Around Mars |url=https://mars.nasa.gov/news/8438/nasas-mro-completes-60000-trips-around-mars |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=NASA Mars Exploration |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Good |first1=Andrew |last2=NASA |title=NASA's MRO completes 60,000 trips around Mars |url=https://phys.org/news/2019-05-nasa-mro-mars.html |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=phys.org |language=en}}</ref>
* February 18, 2020: NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is being updated to ensure its batteries charge correctly and that it knows where it is in space.<ref>{{Cite web |last=mars.nasa.gov |title=NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Undergoes Memory Update |url=https://mars.nasa.gov/news/8609/nasas-mars-reconnaissance-orbiter-undergoes-memory-update |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=NASA Mars Exploration |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Monzon |first=Inigo |date=2020-02-19 |title=NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Currently Offline Due To Important Updates |url=https://www.ibtimes.com/nasas-mars-reconnaissance-orbiter-currently-offline-due-important-updates-2925479 |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=International Business Times |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=McGlaun |first=Shane |date=2020-02-19 |title=NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Update Will Improve Its Battery Usage |url=https://www.slashgear.com/nasa-mars-reconnaissance-orbiter-update-will-improve-its-battery-usage-19610221/ |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=SlashGear |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Maintaining the health of an aging Mars orbiter |url=https://www.planetary.org/articles/0214-maintaining-the-health-of-mro |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=The Planetary Society |language=en}}</ref>
* August 12, 2020: Mars's aerial perspectives offered by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.<ref>{{Cite web |last=mars.nasa.gov |title=Celebrate Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's Views From Above |url=https://mars.nasa.gov/news/8735/celebrate-mars-reconnaissance-orbiters-views-from-above |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=NASA Mars Exploration |language=en}}</ref>
* July 26, 2021: Clay seems to be probable source of Mars "lakes" instead of water.<ref>{{Cite web |last=mars.nasa.gov |title=Clays, Not Water, Are Likely Source of Mars 'Lakes' |url=https://mars.nasa.gov/news/9000/clays-not-water-are-likely-source-of-mars-lakes |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=NASA Mars Exploration |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Choi, SPACE.com |first=Charles Q. |title=Buried 'Lakes' on Mars May Just Be Frozen Clay |url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/buried-lakes-on-mars-may-just-be-frozen-clay/ |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=Scientific American |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Magazine |first1=Smithsonian |last2=Gamillo |first2=Elizabeth |title=Subsurface 'Lakes' on Mars May Actually Be Frozen Clay Deposits |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/subsurface-lakes-mars-could-be-clay-deposits-180978351/ |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=Smithsonian Magazine |language=en}}</ref>
* September 28, 2021: NASA halts Mars communication during solar conjunction.<ref>{{Cite web |author1=Elizabeth Howell |date=2021-09-28 |title=NASA Mars missions facing 2-week communications blackout as sun blocks Red Planet |url=https://www.space.com/nasa-mars-blackout-solar-conjunction-2021 |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=Space.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=mars.nasa.gov |title=NASA's Mars Fleet Lies Low with Sun Between Earth and Red Planet |url=https://mars.nasa.gov/news/9051/nasas-mars-fleet-lies-low-with-sun-between-earth-and-red-planet |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=NASA Mars Exploration |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=NASA to Put Communications with Mars Missions on Temporary Standby Due to Solar Conjunction |url=https://weather.com/en-IN/india/space/news/2021-09-30-nasas-to-put-communications-with-mars-missions-on-temporary-standby |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=The Weather Channel |language=en-IN}}</ref>
* January 26, 2022: NASA discovers water flowed on Mars more recently than thought.<ref>{{Cite web |last=mars.nasa.gov |title=NASA's MRO Finds Water Flowed on Mars Longer Than Previously Thought |url=https://mars.nasa.gov/news/9119/nasas-mro-finds-water-flowed-on-mars-longer-than-previously-thought |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=NASA Mars Exploration |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author1=Elizabeth Howell |date=2022-01-27 |title=Water on Mars may have flowed for a billion years longer than thought |url=https://www.space.com/mars-water-flowed-more-recently-than-thought |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=Space.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Dorminey |first=Bruce |title=NASA Says Mars Water Likely Flowed A Billion Years Longer Than Previously Thought |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucedorminey/2022/01/27/nasa-says-mars-water-likely-flowed-a-billion-years-longer-than-previously-thought/ |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref>
* April 25, 2022: Nasa extends Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and other 7 planetary science missions.<ref>{{Cite web |last=mars.nasa.gov |title=NASA Extends Exploration for 8 Planetary Science Missions |url=https://mars.nasa.gov/news/9175/nasa-extends-exploration-for-8-planetary-science-missions |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=NASA Mars Exploration |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author1=Elizabeth Howell |date=2022-04-26 |title=These 8 NASA missions just got more time to explore Mars, asteroids and the solar system |url=https://www.space.com/nasa-extends-8-solar-system-missions-mars-asteroids |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=Space.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hawkins |first=Joshua |date=2022-04-27 |title=NASA just extended these 8 planetary science missions |url=https://bgr.com/science/nasa-just-extended-these-8-planetary-science-missions/ |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=BGR |language=en-US}}</ref>
* June 23, 2022: NASA is releasing one of the last maps from its Mars orbiter that uses color to represent the different minerals found on the planet.<ref>{{Cite web |last=mars.nasa.gov |title=NASA Mars Orbiter Releasing One of Its Last Rainbow-Colored Maps |url=https://mars.nasa.gov/news/9211/nasa-mars-orbiter-releasing-one-of-its-last-rainbow-colored-maps |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=NASA Mars Exploration |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Laboratory |first=Jet Propulsion |title=Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter releasing one of its last rainbow-colored maps |url=https://phys.org/news/2022-06-mars-reconnaissance-orbiter-rainbow-colored.html |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=phys.org |language=en}}</ref>
* October 26, 2023: A new map from NASA reveals the locations of ice on Mars.<ref>{{Cite web |last=mars.nasa.gov |title=NASA Is Locating Ice on Mars With This New Map |url=https://mars.nasa.gov/news/9502/nasa-is-locating-ice-on-mars-with-this-new-map |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=NASA Mars Exploration |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Unlocking Mars' climate history: New map helping locate ice on Red Planet |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/science/story/unlocking-mars-climate-history-new-map-helping-locate-ice-on-red-planet-2454595-2023-10-27 |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=India Today |language=en}}</ref>
* April 25, 2023: NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has retired its mineral mapping instrument, CRISM, after 17 years of service.<ref>{{Cite web |last=mars.nasa.gov |title=NASA Retires Mineral Mapping Instrument on Mars Orbiter |url=https://mars.nasa.gov/news/9390/nasa-retires-mineral-mapping-instrument-on-mars-orbiter |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=NASA Mars Exploration |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Laboratory |first=Jet Propulsion |date=2023-05-22 |title="End of an Era" – NASA Shuts Down Mineral Mapping Instrument on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter |url=https://scitechdaily.com/end-of-an-era-nasa-shuts-down-mineral-mapping-instrument-on-mars-reconnaissance-orbiter/ |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=SciTechDaily |language=en-us}}</ref>
* April 5, 2023: NASA's new mosaic shows Mars in stunning detail using its imagery.<ref>{{Cite web |last=mars.nasa.gov |title=New Interactive Mosaic Uses NASA Imagery to Show Mars in Vivid Detail |url=https://mars.nasa.gov/news/9375/new-interactive-mosaic-uses-nasa-imagery-to-show-mars-in-vivid-detail |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=NASA Mars Exploration |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Gabriel |first=Angeli |date=2023-04-08 |title=See the Red Planet in vivid detail with new interactive NASA imagery |url=https://www.foxweather.com/earth-space/see-mars-in-vivid-detail-with-new-interactive-using-nasa-imagery |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=FOX Weather |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Laboratory |first=Jet Propulsion |title=New interactive mosaic uses NASA imagery to show Mars in vivid detail |url=https://phys.org/news/2023-04-interactive-mosaic-nasa-imagery-mars.html |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=phys.org |language=en}}</ref>

<gallery>
File:Descent of Phoenix with a crater in the background taken by Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.jpg|The HiRISE camera images the [[Phoenix (spacecraft)|Phoenix]] lander suspended from its parachute during descent through the [[Atmosphere of Mars|Martian atmosphere.]]
File:MRO sees Curiosity landing.jpg|The HiRISE camera images the ''[[Curiosity rover|Curiosity]]'' rover suspended from its parachute during descent through the Martian atmosphere.
File:PIA16920-MarsSoviet3Lander1971-PossibleDebrisField.jpg|Candidate hardware for 1971 Soviet ''[[Mars 3]]'' lander on HiRISE images. The predicted landing site was in [[Ptolemaeus (Martian crater)|Ptolemaeus Crater]].
File:PIA21130 Signs of Schiaparelli Test Lander Seen From Orbit.gif|These before-and-after images of the MRO Context Camera indicates the supposed crash site of ''[[Schiaparelli EDM lander|Schiaparelli]]''.
</gallery>

== Mission prospects ==

On February 9, 2018, NASA announced that it would keep using the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter past the mid-2020s, although in the meantime the spacecraft and mission must face signs of age-related functional disturbances: 1. flagging batteries, 2. blurred images from HiRISE since 2017, 3. lowering reliability of [[gyroscope]]s or [[accelerometers]] for navigation, which will require a challenging examination on a matching mission design.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/mars-reconnaissance-orbiter-preparing-for-years-ahead|title=Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Preparing for Years Ahead|date=February 9, 2018|website=NASA|access-date=2018-04-09}}</ref> Despite those challenges the reasons for this decision are: the loss of ''[[Mars Global Surveyor]]'' in 2006, the postponement of the [[Mars 2022 orbiter]] as the proposed successor of MRO and ''[[MAVEN]]'''s shortage of fuel, that makes MRO now the critical element of the NASA's further [[Mars Exploration Program]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://spacenews.com/nasa-mars-exploration-efforts-turn-to-operating-existing-missions-and-planning-sample-return/|title=NASA Mars exploration efforts turn to operating existing missions and planning sample return|date=February 23, 2018|website=Spacenews|access-date=2018-04-09}}</ref><ref name=":0" /><ref>{{cite news|url=https://spacepolicyonline.com/news/todays-tidbits-september-25-2017/|title=Watzin to MEPAG: No 2022 Orbiter, No Decision on Helicopter|last=Smith|first=Marcia|date=September 25, 2017|work=Space Policy Online|accessdate=October 25, 2017}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter}}

[[Category:Exploration of Mars]]
[[Category:Spaceflight timelines|Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter]]
[[Category:Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter]]
[[Category:Mars timelines|Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter]]