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ScienceQuiet 12d · day 12

NASA’s Mars Odyssey and MRO Orbiters Keep Running Decades Past Design Life

Wired examines how two aging NASA orbiters, launched to last only a few years, are still mapping Mars and relaying rover data after two decades.

newest coverage 12d agosummary written 12d ago5 pieces NewswiresGoogle NewsRedditMastodon

What to know

  • Mars Odyssey (since 2001) and MRO (20 years old) have both far outlasted their planned lifespans and remain central to NASA's Mars science and rover communications.
  • Key risks include Odyssey's unmeasurable, dwindling propellant supply and MRO's star-tracking navigation drifting due to the orbiter's extreme age.
  • Scientists question whether NASA will launch successors, raising uncertainty about long-term Mars orbital coverage once these spacecraft eventually fail.

Briony Horgan Planetary scientist, Purdue UniversityRob Lillis Planetary and space physicist, UC BerkeleyPaul Fieseler Chief engineer for MRO, NASA Jet Propulsion LaboratoryNASA Agency operating both spacecraft

NASA’s Mars Odyssey and MRO Orbiters Keep Running Decades Past Design Life
wired.com

How it unfolded 1 development · click the chart to see its coverage articlespostscomments

Peak 5 pieces in 3h at Oct 27, 6 AM; 5 pieces over 12 days (2 articles · 2 posts · 1 comment) Oct 27, 6 AM — 5 pieces · 2 articles · 2 posts · 1 comment — Reddit 2, Google News 1, Newswires 1, +1 moreOct 27, 9 AM — quietOct 27, 12 PM — quietOct 27, 3 PM — quietOct 27, 6 PM — quietOct 27, 9 PM — quietOct 28, 12 AM — quietOct 28, 3 AM — quietOct 28, 6 AM — quietOct 28, 9 AM — quietOct 28, 12 PM — quietOct 28, 3 PM — quietOct 28, 6 PM — quietOct 28, 9 PM — quietOct 29, 12 AM — quietOct 29, 3 AM — quietOct 29, 6 AM — quietOct 29, 9 AM — quietOct 29, 12 PM — quietOct 29, 3 PM — quietOct 29, 6 PM — quietOct 29, 9 PM — quietOct 30, 12 AM — quietOct 30, 3 AM — quietOct 30, 6 AM — quietOct 30, 9 AM — quietOct 30, 12 PM — quietOct 30, 3 PM — quietOct 30, 6 PM — quietOct 30, 9 PM — quietOct 31, 12 AM — quietOct 31, 3 AM — quietOct 31, 6 AM — quietOct 31, 9 AM — quietOct 31, 12 PM — quietOct 31, 3 PM — quietOct 31, 6 PM — quietOct 31, 9 PM — quietNov 1, 12 AM — quietNov 1, 2 AM — quietNov 1, 5 AM — quietNov 1, 8 AM — quietNov 1, 11 AM — quietNov 1, 2 PM — quietNov 1, 5 PM — quietNov 1, 8 PM — quietNov 1, 11 PM — quietNov 2, 2 AM — quietNov 2, 5 AM — quietNov 2, 8 AM — quietNov 2, 11 AM — quietNov 2, 2 PM — quietNov 2, 5 PM — quietNov 2, 8 PM — quietNov 2, 11 PM — quietNov 3, 2 AM — quietNov 3, 5 AM — quietNov 3, 8 AM — quietNov 3, 11 AM — quietNov 3, 2 PM — quietNov 3, 5 PM — quietNov 3, 8 PM — quietNov 3, 11 PM — quietNov 4, 2 AM — quietNov 4, 5 AM — quietNov 4, 8 AM — quietNov 4, 11 AM — quietNov 4, 2 PM — quietNov 4, 5 PM — quietNov 4, 8 PM — quietNov 4, 11 PM — quietNov 5, 2 AM — quietNov 5, 5 AM — quietNov 5, 8 AM — quietNov 5, 11 AM — quietNov 5, 2 PM — quietNov 5, 5 PM — quietNov 5, 8 PM — quietNov 5, 11 PM — quietNov 6, 2 AM — quietNov 6, 5 AM — quietNov 6, 8 AM — quietNov 6, 11 AM — quietNov 6, 2 PM — quietNov 6, 5 PM — quietNov 6, 8 PM — quietNov 6, 11 PM — quietYesterday, 2 AM — quietYesterday, 5 AM — quietYesterday, 8 AM — quietYesterday, 11 AM — quietYesterday, 2 PM — quietYesterday, 5 PM — quietYesterday, 8 PM — quietYesterday, 11 PM — quietToday, 2 AM — quietToday, 5 AM — quietToday, 8 AM — quiet 1
Oct 28Oct 29Oct 30Oct 31Nov 1Nov 2Nov 3Nov 4Nov 5Nov 6now · 11:26 AM ET
  1. 1

    Wired details why Odyssey and MRO have outlasted expectations

    Wired publishes a feature explaining the engineering, redundancy, and luck that have kept Odyssey and MRO running far beyond their design lives, including Odyssey's unmeasured, dwindling propellant reserve and MRO's navigation fix, while noting scientists' uncertainty about whether NASA will field successors.

    “Both Odyssey and MRO are some of the most productive spacecraft that have ever existed…”
    — Briony Horgan

    • What about the Viking spacecraft, as I understand they were powered by nuclear RTG’s?

      hypercomms2001r/space12d agoview on r/space ↗
  2. background

    Engineers upload a corrected star map to MRO — After noticing MRO's camera-based navigation was confused because some reference stars had slightly shifted position over its long operational life, JPL engineers sent an updated stellar atlas to keep the orbiter properly oriented.

  3. background

    Mars Odyssey arrives at the Red Planet — NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft reaches Mars, beginning a mission originally expected to last only a few years but which continues decades later.