Mars Orbiter taught to 'roll over' for a view beneath the surface

After nearly two decades in orbit, NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) is trying something new.

Engineers have taught the spacecraft how to roll – hard. This isn’t just a simple tilt. These are full-body rolls, sometimes nearly upside down.

The purpose is to see deeper beneath the surface of Mars and hunt for signs of water and ice.

Teaching Mars Orbiter to roll

The new technique comes from scientists at the Planetary Science Institute and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Between 2023 and 2024, MRO performed three massive rotations – what the team calls “very large rolls” – to boost the performance of one of its key instruments.

“Not only can you teach an old spacecraft new tricks, you can open up entirely new regions of the subsurface to explore by doing so,” said Gareth Morgan of the Planetary Science Institute in Tucson, Arizona.

Advanced planning and careful balance

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter was originally built to roll up to 30 degrees to aim its cameras and sensors at specific features on the Martian surface.

It’s a flexible platform, designed to twist and turn in space so scientists can target impact craters, landing zones, and more.

“We’re unique in that the entire spacecraft and its software are designed to let us roll all the time,” said Reid Thomas, MRO’s project manager at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.

But the bigger rolls – 120 degrees or more – are something else entirely. These require advanced planning and careful balance.

Mars Orbiter: Why every roll counts

MRO’s five main science instruments all have different needs. When one is pointed at Mars, others might lose their ideal view.

That means every maneuver is scheduled weeks in advance. Teams negotiate which instruments will be active and when.

An algorithm takes over from there, guiding the orbiter to roll and aim while keeping its solar panels locked on the Sun and its antenna aimed at Earth. For very large rolls, even those systems go dark temporarily.

“The very large rolls require a special analysis to make sure we’ll have enough power in our batteries to safely do the roll,” Thomas said.

Flipping for stronger radar returns

The massive rolls are especially helpful for SHARAD, the Shallow Radar instrument on board. It is designed to see about half a mile to 1.2 miles (0.8 – 1.9 kilometers) below the Martian surface.

SHARAD can also differentiate between ice, rock, and sand – a crucial capability for identifying water that future astronauts might one day use.

“The SHARAD instrument was designed for the near-subsurface, and there are select regions of Mars that are just out of reach for us,” said Morgan. “There is a lot to be gained by taking a closer look at those regions.”

Normally, SHARAD’s signals bounce off parts of the orbiter before hitting Mars, which muddies the data. But by flipping the spacecraft 120 degrees, SHARAD gets a clean line of sight. That single move boosts signal strength tenfold or more.

This improvement is big, but it comes with tradeoffs. During the maneuver, MRO can’t communicate with Earth or recharge its batteries. That limits the team to one or two very large rolls each year – for now.

Old instruments with new tricks

SHARAD isn’t the only instrument adjusting to new routines. The Mars Climate Sounder, a radiometer built at JPL, is also leaning into MRO’s roll capability. It tracks temperatures and atmospheric changes on Mars, revealing patterns in dust storms and cloud formations.

Originally, this instrument used a gimbal to adjust its view. But the gimbal started to fail in 2024. Now, the Climate Sounder depends on the orbiter’s roll maneuvering instead.

“Rolling used to restrict our science, but we’ve incorporated it into our routine planning, both for surface views and calibration,” said Mars Climate Sounder’s interim principal investigator, Armin Kleinboehl of JPL.

Mars Orbiter still delivers after 18 years

NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has been circling the Red Planet since 2006. It’s an aging but incredibly capable machine.

These new rolling maneuvers show that even after 18 years in space, it’s still finding new ways to contribute.

By shifting its body in bold new directions, MRO is helping us see what lies beneath the Martian dust – and just maybe, where water waits to be found.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

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