NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is nearing a crucial milestone. The spacecraft is preparing to slow itself to allow the red planet's gravity to grab it into orbit on March 10.
Designed to examine the planet in unprecedented detail, the orbiter will return more data than all previous Mars missions combined. Before the orbiter can begin its mission, it will spend approximately six months adjusting its orbit with an adventurous process called aerobraking.
The orbiter carries six instruments that will produce data for studying Mars from underground layers to the top of the atmosphere. They include the most powerful telescopic camera ever sent to another planet; it will reveal rocks the size of a small desk. An advanced mineral-mapper will be able to identify water-related deposits in areas as small as a baseball infield. Radar will probe for buried ice and water. A weather camera will monitor the entire planet daily. An infrared sounder will monitor atmospheric temperatures and the movement of water vapor.
