Odyssey off to Mars

Posted by tourdemars to Mars Odyssey at April 8, 2001 12:00 PM

NASA's Mars Odyssey began its 286-million mile journey with a perfect launch Saturday morning, relieving many in the space agency who have longed for redemption since two Mars-bound robots were lost in 1999. The failures grounded the agency's ambitious Mars plan while review boards scoured records and data for reasons. A rover slated to fly to Mars alongside Odyssey was axed, leaving Odyssey to make the trip solo.