How will the 2001 Mars Odyssey s/c last in space?
Cristina Our Lady of Lourdes Bethesda, MD ANSWER: The Odyssey science mission is planned for almost 1 1/2 Mars years, or about 2 1/2 Earth years. The actual lifetime of Odyssey will be determined by how we manage the fuel which is used to control the spacecraft’s attitude. Controlling the attitude is important to maintain communication with the Earth and keeping the solar panels pointed at the Sun to keep the spacecraft powered. We have the potential for lasting much longer than the planned science mission and expect to provide a radio relay for future rovers through at least 2004.
