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Bruce Murray Space Image Library

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mars Climate Sounder artist concept

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mars Climate Sounder artist concept
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mars Climate Sounder artist concept As Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter flies about 300 kilometers (180 miles) above Mars' surface, it almost continuously scans the surface and edge of the atmosphere with the Mars Climate Sounder to build up a "four-dimensional" view of the temperature, pressure, and composition of the bottom 80 kilometers (50 miles) of Mars' atmosphere over the course of one Martian year. NASA / JPL-Caltech