PASADENA, Calif., Dec. 9 (UPI) -- NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter will have worked longer at the red planet by the middle of next week than any other spacecraft in history, the space agency says.
Odyssey entered orbit around Mars Oct. 24, 2001. On Dec. 15, it will pass the martian career longevity record set by its predecessor, Mars Global Surveyor -- which operated in orbit from Sept. 11, 1997, to Nov. 2, 2006 -- a release Thursday from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., said.
Odyssey made its most famous discovery, evidence of large amounts of water ice just below the dry surface of Mars, during the first few months of its primary mission that ended in 2004.
The additional years of operation have provided a bonus, scientists with the program said.
"The extra years have allowed us to build up the highest-resolution maps covering virtually the entire planet," Odyssey project scientist Jeffrey Plaut at JPL said.
The orbiter's longevity has also given Odyssey scientists the opportunity to monitor seasonal changes on Mars year-to-year.
"It is remarkable how consistent the patterns have been from year to year, and that's a comparison that wouldn't have been possible without our mission extensions," Plaut said.
Odyssey has benefited other Mars missions, too. When NASA's Mars exploration rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, far exceeded their own expected lifetimes, Odyssey remained available as the rovers' primary communication relay.
NASA says it has planned future work for Odyssey. If required, controllers will adjust Odyssey's orbit so the spacecraft is in a favorable position for a communication relay role during the August 2012 landing of NASA's next Mars rover, Curiosity, the space agency said.
