Original Source: JPL - Mars Odyssey Mission Status

February 06, 2002

Mars Odyssey reached its final mapping orbit

Image copyright: JPL/NASA

NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft is now in its mapping orbit after completing two maneuvers this week to fine-tune its nearly circular orbit and prepare it for the start of the science mission.

At 12:14 p.m. Pacific Time today, Odyssey fired its thrusters for 25 seconds and decreased the velocity of the spacecraft by less than 2 meters per second.

On Monday, January 28, Odyssey fired its thrusters for 15 seconds, increasing its speed by just over 1 meter per second.

"These small orbit trim maneuvers complement the larger maneuvers we executed two weeks ago and tweak the orbit to get just the right altitude and ground track coverage that we desire. The net effect is that we move the periapsis point, the point nearest the planet, directly over the south pole and keep it there," said Bob Mase, Odyssey's lead navigator at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. "We are now in our final mapping orbit and we don't expect to perform any additional maneuvers to change the orbit."

Engineers are continuing to check out the spacecraft systems and science instruments in preparation for the science mapping mission that will begin in February. Two of the science instruments, both neutron spectrometers that are part of the gamma ray spectrometer suite, are currently operating and collecting science data about the composition of the Mars surface.

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see also:

• Odyssey Home at JPL