NASA’s Odyssey spacecraft becomes Mars’ longest-staying guest
December 16th, 2010 - 4:19 pm ICT by ANIWashington, Dec 16 (ANI): NASA’s Mars Odyssey spacecraft, which launched in 2001, has officially become the Red Planet’s longest-staying guest.
It broke break the record Wednesday for longest-serving spacecraft at the Red Planet.
Dec. 15 marks the 3,340th day since the satellite entered orbit around Mars, passing the record previously set by the Mars Global Surveyor, another orbiting satellite
Odyssey’s longevity enables continued science, including the monitoring of seasonal changes on Mars from year to year and the most detailed maps ever made of most of the planet. In 2002, the spacecraft detected hydrogen just below the surface throughout Mars’ high-latitude regions.
The deduction that the hydrogen is in frozen water prompted NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander mission, which confirmed the theory in 2008.
Odyssey also carried the first experiment sent to Mars specifically to prepare for human missions, and found radiation levels around the planet from solar flares and cosmic rays are two to three times higher than around Earth.
Odyssey also has served as a communication relay, handling most of the data sent home by Phoenix and NASA’s Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity. Odyssey became the middle link for continuous observation of Martian weather by NASA’s Mars Global Surveyor and NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). (ANI)
- NASA's Odyssey spacecraft sets exploration record on Mars - Dec 16, 2010
- NASA's Odyssey orbiter to pass Martian career longevity record - Dec 10, 2010
- Three more missions to Mars planned - Nov 24, 2011
- NASA declares Phoenix Mars lander dead - May 25, 2010
- NASA, Microsoft collaborate to 'bring Mars to life' - Jul 13, 2010
- Carbon dioxide frost consigns Phoenix Mars Lander to history - May 25, 2010
- NASA's Mars Orbiter completes 5-yr mark - Mar 10, 2011
- HAL makes Mars orbiter panels for space agency - Sep 21, 2012
- Plans afoot for astronauts to orbit moon's far side - Nov 26, 2010
- Unmanned aircraft to look for life on Mars - Nov 16, 2010
- Why is Mars red? - Apr 02, 2011
- NASA's Mars rovers set new longevity record - May 20, 2010
- NASA presents new launch system with eye on Mars - Sep 15, 2011
- NASA planning one-way mission to colonise Mars - Oct 28, 2010
- India's tryst with Mars begins in November 2013 (Lead) - Sep 18, 2012
Tags: continuous observation, cosmic rays, detailed maps, earth odyssey, exploration rovers, frozen water, human missions, lander mission, latitude regions, mars exploration rovers spirit and opportunity, mars global surveyor, mars odyssey spacecraft, martian weather, nasa, phoenix mars lander, radiation levels, red planet, seasonal changes, solar flares, spirit and opportunity