|
Nasa's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft has finished an aerobraking
process to tighten its orbit around the Red Planet.
The technique involved Odyssey dipping into the planet's atmosphere
to get a drag effect on the spacecraft.
Odyssey's thrusters will finish putting the spacecraft into its
circular mapping orbit at an altitude of 249 miles later this month.
Science observations will begin two or three weeks later.
By using Mars' atmosphere, scientists saved the expense of launching
additional heavy fuel for rocket firings.
"The spacecraft has performed remarkably well," said
Roger Gibbs, the mission's deputy project manager at Nasa's Jet
Propulsion Laboratory.
Odyssey was launched on its $297 million mission on April 7.
It carries three science instruments. One of them, a radiation
environment experiment, malfunctioned and was shut down in August.
Troubleshooting to determine if it can be fixed will resume next
month.
Posted 10th January 2002
|
,mmmm,,Sign
The Petition 
