Odyssey enters orbit around mars

Pasadena (Calif.), Oct 24. NASA's Odyssey spacecraft slipped into orbit around mars yesterday, 200 days after it left earth at a speed of more than 20,920 kph to find signs of water on the red planet.

Scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory said that although the craft had entered orbit around mars, it would be a while before it could be determined if it was the correct orbit and that all systems were operating properly.

Odyssey, a box-shaped craft intended to spend two and half years years circling mars to study its climate and geologic history, is NASA's first mission to the red planet since two failed 1999 missions.

It began its orbital burn at 7:26 p.m. PDT (10:26 p.m. EDT/0756 hrs IST) on Wednesday.

- Reuters

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