Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

Image of the InSight lander on the surface of Mars

Space

Mars orbiter spies InSight lander from space for the first time

Mission scientists have gained another fresh perspective on InSight's new home on the Red Planet, courtesy of intriguing aerial images snapped by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO).

Artist's concept shows NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter mission over the Red Planet

Space

Veteran Mars probe looks to the stars for longevity

After spending over 12 years studying Mars, NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) is getting some preventative maintenance to allow it to remain in service until the mid-2020s.

The blue section (artificially colored) represents the exposed face of an underground ice sheet on Mars, at a scale of about 500 m (1,650 ft) wide

Space

3D scans reveal huge underground ice sheets on Mars

Mars may not be as dry as it looks. NASA and the USGS have used MRO instruments to analyze the vertical structure and thickness of buried ice sheets, which preserve a detailed record of the Red Planet’s past and could provide future human explorers with an easily-accessible water supply.

These dark streaks on Mars were once thought to be evidence of flowing liquid water, but a new NASA study suggests that might not be the case

Space

Dark streaks on Mars may not be evidence of water after all

In 2011 the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) spotted dark streaks in the dust that appear in summer and vanish in winter, hinting at the influence of flowing water. On closer inspection however, a new NASA report suggests the answer may not be so simple.

Space

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter races past 50,000-orbit milestone

As of Monday, NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has clocked an impressive 50,000 laps of the Red Planet. The spacecraft has been instrumental in NASA’s ongoing efforts to unravel the secrets of Mars, and it’s not done yet, with mission scientists anticipating years of mileage yet to come.

Composite image of Earth and its moon, as seen from Mars on Nov. 20, 2015

Space

Mars-eye view delivers new perspective on the Earth and Moon

If images of the Earth from the Moon have become a little ho-hum, how about an image of the Earth and the Moon from Mars? Courtesy of the HiRISE camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), we have a new view of our home planet and its nearest neighbor.

A spider-like surface feature on Mars that scientists believe is caused by thawing carbon dioxide ice

Space

"Spiders" from Mars? NASA spots them forming

Mars is home to many phenomena that we'd never see on our home planet, some of which are the networks of veiny troughs found around its South Pole. These "spiders" are usually thousands of years old, but now for the first time a team of scientists seem to have caught some in their early stages.

The shape of the gullies in this enhanced-color image of the Utopia Planitia region hints that water was involved in their formation

Space

Newly spotted ice field buried on Mars could provide water to future colonists

The name of the Martian region of Utopia Planitia roughly translates as "plains of paradise." It turns out it could be a paradise indeed for astronauts, as a frozen ice deposit holding as much water as Lake Superior, the largest of North America's Great Lakes, was recently found beneath the soil.

Researchers have identified landmarks on Mars that may be the result of ancient "ice cauldrons" and could be a hotspot for finding microbial life

Space

Ancient "ice cauldron" on Mars could be a bull's-eye for finding life

As the search for life on Mars moves further underground, researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have found another promising place to look: a strange formation that could be the remains of an ancient “ice cauldron” that would have provided a warm, chemical-rich, life-friendly environment.

NASA image displaying temperature data as curtains overlaid on an image of Mars, captured as a dust storm obscured the Acidalia Planitia region of northern Mars

Space

Martian dust storms could make life interesting for future astronauts

NASA scientists have discovered that three powerful dust storms which occur each Martian year could pose a hazard to astronauts undertaking a mission to the Red Planet.

Two potential subglacial volcanoes are highlighted in red, while the relief displays the disposition of sulphates and iron oxide

Space

Flat volcanoes hint at an icy ancient Mars

NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has discovered evidence of ancient volcanoes on the surface of the planet, that are believed to have erupted under a sheet of ice.

Gravity map of mars from the perspective of the Red Planet's northern polar region – red and white regions indicate high gravity areas, while blue represents low gravity areas

Space

High-resolution gravity map confirms Mars’ molten core

NASA has released a new gravity map for Mars, stitched together from telemetry data collected by a trio of spacecraft orbiting the Red Planet over the course of 16 years.