After a string of mission failures, high hopes are riding on NASA’s latest
foray to Mars which is due to lift off this week. The Mars Odyssey mission will
orbit the Red Planet carrying three mineralogy instruments. A camera will record
images in 10 visible and infrared bands. A gamma-ray spectrometer will look for
water in the upper few centimetres of the crust. A third sensor will measure
radiation levels. The probe will reach Mars in October and manoeuvre into an
orbit 400 kilometres above the surface. After two years of surveying, the probe
will act as a relay station…
To continue reading, today with our introductory offers
Advertisement
More from 51¶¯Âþ
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Health
How ageing on Earth mimics the effects of space travel
Comment
Mathematics
Mathematicians stunned by AI's biggest breakthrough in mathematics yet
51¶¯Âþ
Mind
Epic dreaming is leaving people exhausted and distressed
51¶¯Âþ
Health
Women’s better memories may delay Alzheimer’s diagnosis by years
51¶¯Âþ
Popular articles
Trending 51¶¯Âþ articles
1
Mathematicians stunned by AI's biggest breakthrough in mathematics yet
2
The Selfish Gene at 50: Why Dawkins’s evolution classic still holds up
3
How I used psychology to come back from the worst year of my life
4
Photos reveal unexpected details from the world's first atomic test
5
Mystery of the ancient giant stone jars of Laos may have been solved
6
The distant world that is our best hope of finding alien life
7
Can we harness quantum effects to create a new kind of healthcare?
8
Why autism pioneer Uta Frith wants to dismantle the spectrum
9
Epic dreaming is leaving people exhausted and distressed
10
Women’s better memories may delay Alzheimer’s diagnosis by years
