OTD In Space – August 12: Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Launched

On Aug. 12, 2005, NASA launched its Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) mission.

Some of the best cameras ever launched into space are on MRO, and the spacecraft has taken some seriously amazing, photos of Mars. The High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment, or HiRISE camera, takes high-resolution photos of the Martian surface and has helped NASA scout the Red Planet for suitable landing sites for rovers like Curiosity. It also serves as a data relay station for other spacecraft on Mars that needed to beam data back to Earth. MRO has also studied water and ice on Mars, and its cameras have revealed some pretty weird landscapes.