14 DAY TRIAL // Next Tuesday, June 23, will be a big day for NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft. On this date, the probe is expected to successfully complete its 60,000th lap of the Red Planet.
Mind you, the Mars Odyssey is already the longest-operating spacecraft we have so far sent to this cosmic neighbor of ours. Come Tuesday, the probe will merely reinforce its status as the most prolific Mars orbiter to date.
It's been years since the spacecraft reached Mars
NASA's Mars Odyssey probe launched on April 7, 2001, from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, US. It reached its target planet just a few months later, on October 23, 2001.
Nearly a decade later, the spacecraft was officially crowned the longest-operating Mars explorer.
“On Dec. 15, 2010, it became the longest-operating spacecraft ever sent to Mars, and continues to hold that record today,” mission scientists at space agency NASA explain in a statement.
As mentioned, the probe is just days away from completing its 60,000th lap of the Red Planet.
It is estimated that the Mars Odyssey has until now covered around 888 million miles (1.43 billion kilometers) simply by going in circles around its target orb. Pretty impressive, right?
Prior to this, the probe traveled another 286 million miles (460 million kilometers) just to reach Mars.
Despite having been operational for well over a decade now, the spacecraft is in very good condition. Its systems are all functional and it has enough propellant left to keep going for another 10 years.
The probe has done a wonderful job studying Mars
It is thanks to this NASA spacecraft that scientists now know that Mars hides a vast amount of water ice just beneath its surface, especially at high latitudes.
Further, the probe has helped put together a detailed map of landscapes across the Red Planet, and has even delivered data indicating seasonal and year-to-year changes in conditions on Mars.
By studying and documenting the particularities of the Martian environment, the probe has helped pave the way for future manned missions to this orb.
