This site may earn affiliate commissions from the links on this page. Terms of employ.

The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) is an important tool for scientists studying the carmine planet. Not only can it take loftier-resolution images of Mars from its position in space, it serves every bit a vital communications link for rovers on the planet. That's why NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory took aggressive action last calendar week when the satellite reported a malfunction. It's currently in standby manner as a precaution, but JPL scientists hope to have information technology operational again in the coming calendar week or two.

NASA launched the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter fashion back in 2005, and information technology reached orbit of Mars in 2006. Since so, it has mapped the surface of the planet and helped choose landing sites for multiple missions like the Phoenix lander and Curiosity. It as well discovered the remains of the lost Beagle two lander and testify of water ice inside the planet.

The primary mission for this spacecraft was supposed to concluding just two years, but information technology's been operating for more than than 12 years so far. It looked at first like it might exist the end of the line for the MRO concluding week, though. The satellite has a pair of nickel-hydrogen batteries that go on it operational when it's in the shadow of Mars. They're supposed to be recharged via the solar panels when information technology'south back on the lite side, but on Feb. 15 the orbiter reported critically depression bombardment voltage.

NASA flipped the MRO into standby style then information technology could recharge its batteries, but that ways information technology can't make observations or human action as a relay for ground missions. The team is conducting diagnostic operations to empathize what went wrong with the power system. The problem may have been related to the batteries themselves or the solar panels. Another system on the satellite may also accept consumed more power than expected.

Mars CO2 sublimation splotch marks

NASA's MRO HiRISE captured these black splotches on Mars' northern latitudes. They're believed to exist acquired by CO2 explosively sublimating.

The program is to bring the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter dorsum online as a surface relay in the next week. If all goes as planned, it could resume science operations the following week. NASA hopes to keep the MRO operational long plenty to support the upcoming Mars 2022 rover mission, and it recently appear some changes to ensure that happens. The satellite will spend less time on the dark side of Mars, and changes to the spacecraft's other systems should reduce draw on the batteries and prolong their life. It'southward unclear if these changes had anything to practice with the bombardment malfunction. It's possible the team simply has some kinks to work out in the new programming.