| The spacecraft carries six science instruments, three engineering instruments, and two more science-facility experiments. |
| Science Instruments: |
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During its two-year primary science mission, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is conducting eight different science investigations at Mars. The investigations are functionally divided into three purposes: global mapping, regional surveying, and high-resolution targeting of specific spots on the surface. |
| Cameras: |
| HiRISE (High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment) |
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This visible camera reveals small-scale objects in the debris blankets of mysterious gullies and details of geologic structure of canyons, craters, and layered deposits. |
| CTX (Context Camera) |
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This camera provides wide-area views to help provide a context for high-resolution analysis of key spots on Mars provided by HiRISE and CRISM.
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| MARCI (Mars Color Imager) |
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This weather camera monitors clouds and dust storms. |
| Spectrometer: |
| CRISM (Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars) |
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This instrument splits visible and near-infrared light in its images into hundreds of "colors" that identify minerals, especially those likely formed in the presence of water, in surface areas on Mars not much bigger than a football field. |
| Radiometer: |
| MCS (Mars Climate Sounder) |
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This atmospheric profiler detects vertical variations in temperature, dust, and water vapor concentrations in the Martian atmosphere. |
| Radar: |
| SHARAD (Shallow Radar) |
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This sounding radar probes beneath the Martian surface to see if water ice is present at depths greater than one meter (3.3 feet).
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| Engineering Instruments: |
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Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter carries three instruments that assist with spacecraft navigation and communications. |
| Electra UHF Communications and Navigation Package |
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Electra allows the spacecraft to act as a communications relay between the Earth and landed crafts on Mars that may not have sufficient radio power to communicate directly with Earth by themselves. |
| Optical Navigation Camera |
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This camera was tested for improved navigation capability for future missions. Similar cameras on orbiters of the future will serve as high-precision interplanetary "eyes" to guide incoming spacecraft as they near Mars. |
| Ka-band Telecommunications Experiment Package |
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During the cruise phase of the mission, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter demonstrated the use of a radio frequency called the Ka-band to enhance communications using significantly less power. |
| Science Facility Experiments: |
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Two additional science investigations rely on engineering data. |
| Gravity Field Investigation Package |
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By tracking the orbiter during the primary science phase, team members have been mapping the gravity field of Mars to understand the geology of the surface and near-surface and the geophysical processes that produced these land features. For example, analysis may reveal how the planet's mass is redistributed as the Martian polar caps form and dissipate seasonally. |
| Atmospheric Structure Investigation Accelerometers |
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Data collected from accelerometers during aerobraking is helping scientists understand the structure of the Martian atmosphere. |
