Editing Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (section)

== Mission objectives ==
[[File:Components of Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.png|thumb|upright=2.1|Components of ''MRO'']]
''MRO'' has both scientific and "mission support" objectives which were carried out during the mission's phases. The Primary Science Phase lasted until November 2008, at which time NASA declared the mission a success.<ref name=":8">{{Cite journal |last=Zurek |first=Richard |last2=Tamppari |first2=Leslie |last3=Johnston |first3=M. Dan |last4=Murchie |first4=Scott |last5=McEwen |first5=Alfred |last6=Byrne |first6=Shane |last7=Seu |first7=Roberto |last8=Putzig |first8=Nathaniel |last9=Kass |first9=David |last10=Malin |first10=Michael |last11=Cantor |first11=Bruce |date=2024-09-01 |title=MRO overview: Sixteen years in Mars orbit |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0019103524001623 |journal=[[Icarus (journal)|Icarus]] |volume=419 |pages= |doi=10.1016/j.icarus.2024.116102 |issn=0019-1035 |article-number=116102|doi-access=free }}</ref>{{Rp|page=18}} The Extended Science Phase, lasting from 2008 to 2010, was initially planned to support the [[Phoenix (spacecraft)|''Phoenix'']] lander and the [[Mars Science Laboratory]], but they were uncontactable and delayed respectively, freeing up the ''MRO'' to further study Mars.<ref name=":8" />{{Rp|pages=19–20}}After 2010, the mission consisted of Extended Mission (EM) phases, each lasting two years up to EM4, and three years from then on.<ref name=":8" />{{Rp|page=28}} As of 2024, the ''MRO'' is on its 6th extended mission.<ref name=":8" />{{Rp|page=13}}

The formal science objectives of ''MRO'' are to observe the present climate, particularly its atmospheric circulation and seasonal variations; search for signs of water, both past and present, and understand how it altered the planet's surface; map and characterize the geological forces that shaped the surface.<ref name="mro-science-paper">{{cite journal |last1=Zurek |first1=Richard W. |last2=Smrekar |first2=Suzanne E. |title=An overview of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) science mission |journal=Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets |date=2007 |volume=112 |issue=E5 |pages=E05S01 |doi=10.1029/2006JE002701 |bibcode=2007JGRE..112.5S01Z |language=en |issn=2156-2202|doi-access=free }}</ref>

To support other missions to Mars, the ''MRO'' also has mission support objectives. They are to provide data relay services from ground missions back to Earth, characterize the safety and feasibility of potential future landing sites and [[Mars rover]] traverses, and capture data from the [[entry, descent and landing]] phase of rovers.<ref name="mro-science-paper" /><ref name=":8" />{{Rp|page=12}}

''MRO'' played a key role in choosing safe landing sites for the [[Phoenix (spacecraft)|''Phoenix'']] lander in 2008, ''[[Mars Science Laboratory]]'' / ''[[Curiosity (rover)|Curiosity]]'' rover in 2012, ''[[InSight]]'' lander in 2018, and the ''[[Mars 2020]]'' / [[Perseverance (rover)|''Perseverance'']] rover in 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sharrow |first=R. |date=2006-07-24 |title=pds-geosciences.wustl.edu/missions/mro/docs/mro_mission.txt |url=https://pds-geosciences.wustl.edu/missions/mro/docs/mro_mission.txt |access-date=July 29, 2023 |website=pds-geosciences.wustl.edu |archive-date=December 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211227134240/https://pds-geosciences.wustl.edu/missions/mro/docs/mro_mission.txt |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Greicius |first=Tony |date=2018-05-02 |title=NASA Evaluates Four Candidate Sites for 2016 Mars Mission |url=http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/insight/news/insight20130904.html |access-date=2023-07-29 |website=NASA |archive-date=February 28, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140228154241/http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/insight/news/insight20130904.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Grant |first1=John A. |last2=Golombek |first2=Matthew P. |last3=Wilson |first3=Sharon A. |last4=Farley |first4=Kenneth A. |last5=Williford |first5=Ken H. |last6=Chen |first6=Al |date=2018-12-01 |title=The science process for selecting the landing site for the 2020 Mars rover |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032063318301077 |journal=Planetary and Space Science |language=en |volume=164 |pages=106–126 |doi=10.1016/j.pss.2018.07.001 |bibcode=2018P&SS..164..106G |s2cid=125118346 |issn=0032-0633 |access-date=July 29, 2023 |archive-date=August 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230804022054/https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0032063318301077 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription }}</ref>