sirbiotech
12-27-2001, 01:00 AM
friday december 14 09:07 am est
mars odyssey navigates atmosphere
by andrew bridges
associated press, space.com
san francisco (ap) _ as nasa (news - web sites)'s 2001 mars odyssey
spacecraft neared completion wednesday of its 100th orbit of the red
planet, scientists had to contend with a surprisingly fickle martian
atmosphere in guiding and slowing the robotic probe.
odyssey entered orbit around mars on oct. 23. since then, scientists
have guided the spacecraft on a series of controlled skims through
the atmosphere, using the drag provided by the carbon dioxide-rich
shroud to slow the spacecraft and shape its orbit.
....odyssey has another 200-plus orbits left before it will settle
into its final science mapping orbit. that should occur in mid-
january, when the probe will swing around mars once every two hours.
beginning in february, the $297 million odyssey mission will remotely
prospect for chemicals and elements on the surface, seek out frozen
reservoirs of water, and later serve as a communications relay
satellite for future mars spacecraft.
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/space/20011214/sc/mars_odyssey_navigates_
atmosphere_1.html
mars odyssey navigates atmosphere
by andrew bridges
associated press, space.com
san francisco (ap) _ as nasa (news - web sites)'s 2001 mars odyssey
spacecraft neared completion wednesday of its 100th orbit of the red
planet, scientists had to contend with a surprisingly fickle martian
atmosphere in guiding and slowing the robotic probe.
odyssey entered orbit around mars on oct. 23. since then, scientists
have guided the spacecraft on a series of controlled skims through
the atmosphere, using the drag provided by the carbon dioxide-rich
shroud to slow the spacecraft and shape its orbit.
....odyssey has another 200-plus orbits left before it will settle
into its final science mapping orbit. that should occur in mid-
january, when the probe will swing around mars once every two hours.
beginning in february, the $297 million odyssey mission will remotely
prospect for chemicals and elements on the surface, seek out frozen
reservoirs of water, and later serve as a communications relay
satellite for future mars spacecraft.
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/space/20011214/sc/mars_odyssey_navigates_
atmosphere_1.html