Mars 2001 Odyssey Earth-Mars Trajectory

Odyssey's flight path to Mars is called a Type 1 trajectory that takes it less than 180 degrees around the Sun. During the first two months of cruise, only the Deep Space Network station in Canberra will be capable of viewing the spacecraft. Late in May California's Goldstone station will come into view, and by early June the Madrid station will also be able to track the spacecraft. The project has also added the use of a tracking station in Santiago, Chile, to fill in tracking coverage during the first seven days following launch.

During interplanetary cruise, Odyssey is scheduled to fire its thrusters a total of five times to adjust its flight path. The first of these trajectory correction maneuvers is scheduled for eight days after launch, and will correct launch injection errors and adjust the Mars arrival aim point. It will be followed by a second maneuver 90 days after launch.

The remaining three trajectory correction maneuvers will be used to direct the spacecraft to the proper aim point at Mars. These maneuvers are scheduled at 90 days after launch, 12 days before arrival and seven hours (October 24) before arrival. The spacecraft will communicate with Deep Space Network antennas continuously for 24 hours around all of the trajectory correction maneuvers. Maneuvers will be conducted in what engineers are calling a "constrained turn-and-burn" mode in which the spacecraft will turn to the desired burn attitude and fire the thrusters, while remaining in con-tact with Earth.