News | 2005 News Archive

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Takes Flight

08/12/2005

AASC's latest hardware was launched into space at 7:43 A.M. ET on August 12th, 2005 with the liftoff of the Atlas V and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. 

MRO HGA to Transmit the Unparalled Insight into Mars

 

AASC successfully completed the design, analysis, fabrication and testing of the main communications High Gain Antenna (HGA) for the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) Spacecraft in 2004. Since delivery, the antenna was integrated to the MRO spacecraft, completed spacecraft testing, and is now making the 7 month journey toward Mars. 

According to the NASA's JPL Program website  ( http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/mro/ ), “The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Spacecraft will make a more comprehensive inspection of our planetary neighbor than any previous mission, and will stream home its pictures and other information using the widest dish antenna and highest power level ever operated at Mars. The amount of data flowing back to Earth from Mars will be a giant leap over previous missions."

The MRO Antenna is 3-meters (10-feet) in diameter with a 0.5-meter (1.64-feet) sub reflector operating at both X-band and Ka-band frequencies. AASC completed the design and fabrication of the antenna meeting all structural design requirements with ample margin, including surface figure, thermal stability and mass.