Mars Spacecraft Tightens Orbit
The 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft has greatly tightened its orbit around Mars by skimming the upper atmosphere and should begin scientific observations in February, NASA officials said Thursday.
Aerobraking has reduced the time required for Odyssey to complete each orbit from 18those hours when the craft reached Mars in October to three hours and 15 minutes now. Aerobraking should be completed on schedule in early January. Then thrusters will be used over the course of about a month to produce a more circular orbit, said David A. Spencer, mission manager at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena.
The spacecraft carries instruments that will, among other pursuits, look for water near the surface of the planet.
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Compiled by Times medical writer Thomas H. Maugh II.
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