NASA celebrates MRO's (Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter) 5th year anniversary as the spacecraft orbits the red planet. MRO was launched in August 12, 2005 and attained its orbit on the red planet on March 10, 2006. The multi-purpose spacecraft took its very first high resolution image of Mars on September 29, 2006.Ran by two solar panels, MRO is equipped with three cameras, two spectrometers and a radar and is expected to obtain 5,000 images per year. Project manager for the MRO (NASA), Phil Varghese had stated that "the spacecraft is still in excellent health." And after 5 years of orbiting Mars, "it continues with dual capabilities for conducting science observations, monitoring the Mars environment and serving as a relay."
SOURCES: UPI.com; Image
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