Astronaut’s Eye View: Breathtaking Mars Horizon Captured by NASA’s Odyssey Orbiter
NASA’s Mars Odyssey orbiter has provided new panoramic images of Mars and its moon Phobos, offering fresh insights into the Martian landscape and atmosphere. The…
Mars Odyssey Orbiter News
The Mars Odyssey Orbiter is a robotic spacecraft orbiting Mars, launched by NASA on April 7, 2001, and it reached Mars on October 24, 2001. The primary mission of Mars Odyssey is to map the Martian surface for chemical elements and minerals, detect water and shallow buried ice, and study the radiation environment. This information is crucial for future manned missions to Mars. The orbiter carries three scientific instruments: the Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS), the Gamma Ray Spectrometer (GRS), and the Mars Radiation Environment Experiment (MARIE), although the MARIE was disabled after a solar event. Mars Odyssey has contributed significantly to our understanding of the planet’s geology and climate, including the discovery of vast amounts of subsurface water ice and ongoing assessments of environmental conditions. It also serves as a key communications relay for landers and rovers on Mars, enhancing the continuity and breadth of Mars exploration missions.
Sun’s Curtain Call: Mars Missions Go Rogue During Solar Conjunction
Rovers and orbiters will continue collecting limited data during a two-week communications pause due to the position of Earth, the Sun, and the Red Planet….
Odyssey Over? Precarious Fuel Supply of NASA’s Oldest Mars Orbiter
Measuring the fuel supply on Odyssey, a decades-old spacecraft without a fuel gauge, is no easy task. Since NASA launched the 2001 Mars Odyssey Orbiter…
Solving the Baffling Mysteries of Invisible Frost and Dust Avalanches on Mars
A new research study using data from NASA’s Mars Odyssey orbiter may explain why Martian frost can be invisible to the naked eye and why…
NASA Releases Stunning Image of Mars: Blue Dunes on the Red Planet
A sea of dark dunes, sculpted by the wind into long lines, surrounds Mars’ northern polar cap and covers an area as big as Texas….
NASA’s Mars Odyssey Orbiter: 20 Historic Years of Mapping the Red Planet
For two decades, the longest-lived spacecraft at the Red Planet has helped locate water ice, assess landing sites, and study the planet’s mysterious moons. NASA’s…
Mars Orbiter Reveals Why Martian Full Moon Looks Like Candy
For the first time, NASA’s Mars Odyssey orbiter has caught the Martian moon Phobos during a full moon phase. Each color in this new image…
Mars Odyssey Observes Martian Moons Phobos and Deimos
Phobos and Deimos, the moons of Mars, are seen in this movie put together from 19 images taken by the Mars Odyssey orbiter’s Thermal Emission…
NASA’s Mars Odyssey Views Phobos in a Different Light
NASA’s Mars Odyssey has gained its first look at the Martian moon Phobos, pursuing a deeper understanding by examining it in infrared wavelengths. The Thermal…
NASA Spacecraft Map Gravity on Mars, Give Best View Yet Inside Mars
Scientists have used slight orbital fluctuations to map the gravity field of Mars, providing fresh insights into its crustal thickness, deep interior, and seasonal variations…
NASA’s Mars Odyssey Spacecraft Repositioned to Confirm Curiosity’s Landing
After entering safe mode on July 11th, NASA’s Mars Odyssey spacecraft is now operating normally and used a six second thruster burn to adjust its…
NASA’s Mars Odyssey Orbiter Out of Precautionary ‘Safe Mode’
After experiencing an issue with one of its primary reaction wheels on June 8, NASA’s Mars Odyssey orbiter has now been taken out of “safe…
A Decade Worth of Discovery from THEMIS
Ten years and counting. The Thermal Emission Imaging System onboard NASA’s Mars Odyssey orbiter has taken nearly 500,000 images and circled Mars nearly 45,000 times…