Friday, May 13, 2005

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter launches in Aug

The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is due for launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on August 10th. The probe carries six instruments, including the most powerful telescopic camera ever flown to another world. Details as small as a kitchen table will be resolved and these sent back to earth at a rate 10 times faster than any previous mission to Mars. This is the next step in identifying landing sites for future probes and possibly humans.