How was the Mars Odyssey spacecraft able to detect water beneath the Martian surface without landing on the planet?
The Mars orbiter 2001 Mars Odyssey found much evidence for water on Mars in the form of pictures, and with a spectrometer it proved that much of the ground is loaded with ice.
Is 2001 Mars Odyssey still active?
NASA’s Mars Odyssey holds the record for the longest continually active spacecraft in orbit around a planet other than Earth. It’s been in orbit since Oct. 24, 2001….What is Mars Odyssey?
| Nation | United States of America (USA) |
|---|---|
| Spacecraft | 2001 Mars Odyssey |
| Spacecraft Mass | 3,547 pounds (1,608.7 kilograms) |
What type of spacecraft is Mars Odyssey?
robotic spacecraft
2001 Mars Odyssey is a robotic spacecraft orbiting the planet Mars. The project was developed by NASA, and contracted out to Lockheed Martin, with an expected cost for the entire mission of US$297 million.
What did the 2001 Mars Odyssey find?
Using instruments on NASA’s 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft, surprised scientists have found enormous quantities of buried treasure lying just under the surface of Mars-enough water ice to fill Lake Michigan twice over.
What mineral that would only form in water did Odyssey discover on Mars?
In 2008, however, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter discovered new hydrated minerals on the red planet in the form of hydrated silica, also known as opal. These newly discovered minerals formed when water was exposed to areas affected by meteorites or volcanic activity.
How warm does it get on Mars?
Temperatures on Mars average about -81 degrees F. However, temperature’s range from around -220 degrees F. in the wintertime at the poles, to +70 degrees F. over the lower latitudes in the summer.
Was the Odyssey mission successful?
With goals to detect health hazards for future human space explorers, to discover what our neighboring planet is made of, and to find buried water ice in the shallow subsurface of Mars, the 2001 Mars Odyssey orbiter has achieved mission success. …
What have we learned from Mars Odyssey?
2001 Mars Odyssey has contributed numerous science results. It has mapped the amount and distribution of chemical elements and minerals that make up the Martian surface. Maps of hydrogen distribution led scientists to discover vast amounts of water ice in the polar regions burried just beneath the surface.
What was learned from the Mars Odyssey mission?
What discovered ice beneath the surface of Mars?
Researchers have detected a group of lakes hidden under the red planet’s icy surface. Two years ago, planetary scientists reported the discovery of a large saltwater lake under the ice at Mars’s south pole, a finding that was met with excitement and some scepticism.
Which spacecraft is responsible for discovering ice on Mars?
Ice on Mars. Instruments on board NASA’s Mars Odyssey spacecraft have revealed more underground ice on the Red Planet than scientists expected.
What was the purpose of the 2001 Mars Odyssey?
2001 Mars Odyssey is a robotic spacecraft orbiting the planet Mars. The project was developed by NASA, and contracted out to Lockheed Martin, with an expected cost for the entire mission of US$297 million. Its mission is to use spectrometers and a thermal imager to detect evidence of past or present water and ice,…
When did the Mars Odyssey launch from Cape Canaveral?
Right: An artists concept of the 2001 Mars Odyssey Mission. Set for launch April 7 from Cape Canaveral, Odyssey is NASA’s first mission to Mars since the loss of two spacecraft in 1999.
What kind of rocket was used to launch Mars Odyssey?
This reduction in spacecraft weight allowed the mission to be launched on a Delta II 7925 launch vehicle, rather than a larger, more expensive launcher. Aerobraking ended in January 2002, and Odyssey began its science mapping mission on February 19, 2002.
When did the Mars Odyssey change its orbit?
Odyssey is in a Sun-synchronous orbit, which provides consistent lighting for its photographs. On September 30, 2008 (sol 2465) the spacecraft altered its orbit to gain better sensitivity for its infrared mapping of Martian minerals.