Overview

• Since 2023, the orbiter has performed one or two 120-degree rolls each year to enhance its subsurface radar capability.
• These maneuvers amplify SHARAD’s radar signal by ten times or more, enabling clearer detection of rock, sand and ice up to two kilometers below the surface.
• Carrying out the large rolls requires meticulous power and communications planning to ensure safe battery levels and antenna alignment with Earth.
• The Mars Climate Sounder now relies on standard MRO rolls after its gimbal became unreliable in 2024, integrating the spacecraft’s routine maneuvers for calibration and surface views.
• Managed by JPL for NASA’s Mars Exploration Program, MRO’s adaptability underscores its longevity and the mission’s evolving science returns nearly two decades after launch.