September 12, 2006 NASA's newest spacecraft at Mars has
completed the challenging half-year task of shaping its orbit to
the nearly circular, low-altitude pattern from which it will
scrutinize the planet. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter fired its
six intermediate-size thrusters for 12.5 minutes Monday
afternoon, Sept. 11, shifting the low point of its orbit to stay
near the Martian south pole and the high point to stay near the
north pole. The altitude of the orbit ranges from 250 kilometers
(155 miles) to 316 kilometers (196 miles) above the surface.
"This maneuver puts us into our science orbit," said Dan
Johnston, deputy mission manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion
Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. "Getting to this point is a great
achievement." Challenging activities remain ahead this month,
such as deploying an antenna 10 meters (33 feet) long and
removing a lens cap from a crucial instrument. The main science
investigations will begin in November. During its two-year
science phase, the mission will return more d