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Washington, April 8
Do you know that a NASA spacecraft launched 20 years ago is still working at the Red Planet?
For two decades, the longest-lived spacecraft at the Red Planet, 2001 Mars Odyssey, has helped locate water ice, assess landing sites, and study the planet s mysterious moons, NASA said.
Launched 20 years ago on April 7, the orbiter, which takes its name from Arthur C. Clarke s classic sci-fi novel 2001: A Space Odyssey , was sent to map the composition of the Martian surface, providing a window to the past so scientists could piece together how the planet evolved.
But it has done far more than that, uncovering troves of water ice, serving as a crucial communications link for other spacecraft, and helping to pave the way not just for safer landings but also future astronauts.
NASA s Odyssey Orbiter Marks 20 Historic Years of Mapping Mars
Odyssey’s Launch: Click (or touch) and drag to interact with this 3D model of NASA’s Odyssey orbiter, which celebrates its 20th launch anniversary on April 7, 2021. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech.
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 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft launched 20 years ago on April 7, making it the oldest spacecraft still working at the Red Planet. The orbiter, which takes its name from Arthur C. Clarke’s classic sci-fi novel “2001: A Space Odyssey” (Clarke blessed its use before launch), was sent to map the composition of the Martian surface, providing a window to the past so scientists could piece together how the planet evolved.
Conexiones entre el Perseverance en Marte y la Tierra: velocidad, antenas adslzone.net - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from adslzone.net Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The Mars Relay Network Connects Us to NASA’s Martian Explorers
A tightly choreographed dance between NASA’s Deep Space Network and Mars orbiters will keep the agency’s Perseverance in touch with Earth during landing and beyond.
When NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance rover touches down with the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter on the Red Planet on Feb. 18, they won’t be alone. From orbit, two robotic buddies will be playing a special role in the event by checking in on the mission’s vital signs from the moment Perseverance enters the atmosphere to long after it makes its first tracks on the Martian surface.