The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on 12 August 2005. After a five-month cruise and a two-month approach to Mars, MRO entered Mars' orbit on 10 March 2006. The 255 x 320 km Primary Science Orbit (PSO) was a near-polar orbit with periapsis frozen over the South Pole. The Primary Science Phase of the mission began after solar conjunction and after turn-on and checkout of the science instruments in the Primary Science Orbit. The science investigations were functionally divided into daily global mapping and profiling, regional survey, and globally distributed targeting investigations. It is mission is now to be the communication and navigation system for landers and rover probes.
urn:nasa:pds:context:investigation:mission.mars_reconnaissance_orbiter
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