What specialized devices do Orbiters carry for sustained, long-term survey of a planet's globe?

Answer

Radar systems to penetrate clouds or map subsurface ice

Orbiters are designed for sustained, long-term study, remaining in a stable orbit around the planet for extended periods. To survey the entire globe, they are equipped with a suite of remote-sensing devices suitable for global mapping from above. This suite prominently includes radar systems, which are necessary because they can penetrate obscuring elements like dense clouds or even map features hidden beneath the surface, such as subsurface ice deposits, providing geological context over vast areas.

What specialized devices do Orbiters carry for sustained, long-term survey of a planet's globe?
explorationplanetsspace explorationspacecraftdevices