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Space Topics: 2001 Mars Odyssey

Mission Objectives

2001 Mars Odyssey completed its mission objectives in August 2004:

  • building a global map of the chemical elements and minerals exposed on the Martian surface. This map is being used by scientists to understand Mars's past climate, the history of water on Mars, the potential for life, and possible targets for future robotic or human exploration.
  • determining the abundance of hydrogen in the shallow subsurface. If abundant hydrogen is found, it most likely represents hidden deposits of water ice.
  • providing information about the structure of the Martian surface.
  • recording the radiation environment between the Earth and Mars and in low Mars orbit as it relates to radiation-related risk to human exploration.

 

Odyssey officially began its extended mission on August 24, 2004. Its current objectives include serving as the primary communication relay for the Mars Exploration Rovers and collecting images for use in determining future landing sites.