Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), illustration. At top is the MRO's high-gain antenna, the spacecraft's main means of communicating with Earth. The long, thin pole is the antenna for the Shallow Subsurface Radar instrument (SHARAD). The large instrument covered in black thermal blanketing at centre is the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment camera (HiRISE). The Electra telecommunications package is the gold-coloured instrument. It will act as a communications relay and navigation aid for Mars spacecraft. To the right of the high-resolution camera is the Context Imager (CTX). The MRO spacecraft was launched by NASA in August 2005, and arrived at Mars in March 2006. Image published in 2005.