Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter solar panel tests (May 20, 2005)
original description: In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, technicians inspect the solar panels for the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) during an electromagnetic interference verification test. If no interference is found during the test, the Shallow Radar Antenna (SHARAD) will be installed on the spacecraft. The spacecraft is undergoing multiple mechanical assembly operations and electrical tests to verify its readiness for launch. The MRO was built by Lockheed Martin for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. It is the next major step in Mars exploration and scheduled for launch from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in a window opening Aug. 10. The MRO is an important next step in fulfilling NASA’s vision of space exploration and ultimately sending human explorers to Mars and beyond.