Odyssey’s Accomplishments at Its 100,000th Orbit
June 27, 2024
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Since arriving at Mars on Oct. 24, 2001, NASA’s 2001 Mars Odyssey orbiter has mapped the composition of the Martian surface, providing a window onto the past so scientists can use that data to piece together how the planet evolved. It has also served as a vital asset in relaying communications between landers and rovers on the Red Planet and mission teams back on Earth.
Here are some of the highlights of the mission:
- Completed 100,000 orbits
- Captured more than 1.4 million images
- Returned 17.2 terabits of science data to Earth, including 1.3 terabits of data relayed from Mars surface missions
- Provided communications relay for six Mars surface missions: The Phoenix and InSight landers, and the Spirit, Opportunity, Curiosity, and Perseverance rovers
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars Odyssey Project for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. Lockheed Martin Space in Denver built the spacecraft and collaborates with JPL on mission operations. For more information about Odyssey, visit:
