The spacecraft arrived at Mars on October 24 of that year.
On this very date back in 2001, NASA launched its robotic spacecraft '2001 Mars Odyssey' to Mars. The spacecraft arrived in Mars' orbit on October 24 of that year.
The mission aimed to detect evidence of past or present ice and water on the Martian surface, and also study the planet's geology and radiation environment.
Besides, it is also there to determine the level of hydrogen within the planet's shallow subsurface, provide information on the morphology of the Martian surface, and more.
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About the launch
The spacecraft was launched on a Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
After arriving on the Mars orbit on October 24, 2001, it spent about 76 days aerobraking and used aerodynamic drag from the upper regions of the Martian atmosphere to gradually slow down, and then reduce and circularize its orbit.
The spacecraft started its science mapping mission on February 19, 2002.
David Lehman's words
Odyssey project manager David Lehman, of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, said in a statement: "Every day for more than five years, Odyssey has been extending its record for how long a spacecraft can keep working at Mars."
"The spacecraft is remarkably healthy, and we have enough fuel to last for several more years," he added.
NASA's words about the spacecraft's naming
NASA explained in a statement: "The name '2001 Mars Odyssey' was selected as a tribute to the vision and spirit of space exploration as embodied in the works of renowned science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke."
"Evocative of one of his most celebrated works, the name speaks to our hopes for the future and of the fundamental human desire to explore the unknown despite great dangers, the risk of failure, and the daunting, enormous depths of space," it added.
Major discoveries by 2001 Mars Odyssey
'2001 Mars Odyssey' successfully mapped the basic distribution of water below Mars' shallow surface by 2008. It also discovered vast deposits of bulk water ice near the surface of equatorial regions.
Using various data from Odyssey, the science team of NASA is trying to understand whether the Martian surface is suitable for microscopic life.
Some interesting facts
By 2010, Odyssey became the longest-serving spacecraft on Mars with 3,340 days of operation.
For NASA's Mars surface explorers, Odyssey was the primary means of communication in the last decade.
Odyssey uses three primary instruments: Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS), Gamma Ray Spectrometer (GRS), and Mars Radiation Environment Experiment (MARIE).
