---
title: "NASA's veteran Martian spacecraft provide decades of information on Mars geology and climate"
url: https://newscentral.site/nasa-s-veteran-martian-spacecraft-provide-decades-of-information/
language: en
publisher: "News Central Site"
section: "Technology"
published: 2026-10-27T10:45:00.000Z
updated: 2026-10-29T12:51:41.261Z
id: abdf758b-518c-4626-9551-405d1c256534
source: "Wired https://www.wired.com/story/how-nasa-oldest-martian-spacecraft-run-for-decades/"
attribution: "Link to https://newscentral.site/nasa-s-veteran-martian-spacecraft-provide-decades-of-information/ and name News Central Site when you quote or summarize this story."
---

# NASA's veteran Martian spacecraft provide decades of information on Mars geology and climate

The success of these orbiters can be attributed to exceptional engineering, constant problem-solving efforts, and a dash of good fortune.

NASA's veteran Martian spacecraft have been silently observing the Red Planet for decades, providing a wealth of information on its geology, climate, and potential habitability. Their remarkable longevity has rewritten our understanding of water on Mars, past and present.

The success of these orbiters can be attributed to exceptional engineering and constant problem-solving efforts by NASA's teams, combined with a dash of good fortune. Despite being designed for short-term missions, Odyssey and MRO have far exceeded expectations, with some even speculating that they might be the last of their kind on Mars.

As a testament to their importance, planetary scientist Briony Horgan notes that both spacecraft are among the most productive ever sent to Mars, providing critical data to NASA's overall research program. Their observations have transformed our view of the planet from a barren rock to a dynamic world with changing seasons and shifting landscapes.

Odyssey has offered unparalleled insights into Martian ice formations, while MRO has enabled scientists to track surface changes over time, including the movement of dust and sand. What's more, these orbiters serve as a vital communication link between Earth and NASA's rovers on Mars, which cannot directly transmit data back to our planet.

The harsh Martian environment poses significant challenges to spacecraft, particularly when it comes to protecting delicate equipment from high-energy particle strikes. A single powerful hit can be catastrophic, causing irreparable damage to critical systems. Engineers must carefully design and test their craft to withstand these conditions.

NASA's engineers have developed strategies to mitigate the risks associated with Mars exploration. One approach is to duplicate vital components, ensuring that if one fails, the mission can continue using a spare until the issue can be addressed. This redundancy has proven essential for long-duration missions like NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO).

Engineers at NASA have had to send an updated map to their Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) to keep it oriented in space. This is because tiny misalignments caused by the spacecraft's redundancy have led to navigation issues.

The Odyssey spacecraft, another long-duration mission, faces a different challenge: running out of propellant for adjustments. The problem arises from the fact that the spacecraft doesn't have a fuel gauge, as there is no gravity to push the fuel down and create volume. This makes it difficult for NASA to determine how much fuel is left.

Engineers are working on ways to make the most of the remaining propellant by operating the spacecraft in short bursts. They are essentially "sipping from the fuel tank, trying to extend the life of the mission. These measures aim to conserve energy and maintain functionality until further notice.

Both Odyssey and MRO have benefited from NASA's experience with past failures. The agency's infamous faster, better, cheaper era saw two Mars missions go awry in 1999: the Mars Climate Orbiter burned up due to a miscommunication between units, while the Mars Polar Lander crashed into the surface because of an undetected software error.

The team behind the Mars Odyssey spacecraft was well aware of the failures that had occurred in 1999, which included the loss of two missions due to a combination of human error and design flaws. This experience weighed heavily on their minds as they worked tirelessly to perfect the Odyssey and MRO spacecraft.

To mitigate the risks associated with space travel, NASA invested significant resources into designing each spacecraft to be as resilient as possible. Every component and system configuration was thoroughly tested to ensure that even in the event of unexpected malfunctions, the spacecraft would be able to survive. This approach is known within the agency as margin," essentially a safeguard against unforeseen circumstances.

The MRO spacecraft, which launched with a larger battery and more propellant than strictly necessary, has benefited from this margin. The excess resources have allowed NASA to continue operating the mission for longer than initially planned, with hopes of extending its lifespan by another decade. However, as recent events have demonstrated, even seemingly robust systems can fail unexpectedly.

The loss of the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution spacecraft last year serves as a stark reminder that orbiting Mars is a challenging task. With Odyssey and MRO continuing to age, there are pressing questions about what future Mars orbiters will look like for NASA.

NASA is planning to launch a dedicated communications satellite to beam data from Mars back to Earth, but this new orbiter will have a significantly different role than its predecessors. Unlike the Odyssey and MRO spacecraft, which began as science missions before taking on communication duties, this new satellite will only relay signals for other spacecraft.

The agency's Mars science agenda is focused on relatively limited projects, including a mission led by Lillis that involves two orbiters studying how the planet responds to charged particles from the sun. This project joins another ambitious initiative called Skyfall, which aims to launch three small helicopters aboard the first nuclear-propelled spacecraft within just two years.

The rapid development of these new missions has raised concerns among scientists about whether they will live up to the legacy of Odyssey and MRO, which have been instrumental in advancing our understanding of Mars. The emphasis on speed and cost-effectiveness may be at odds with the need for thorough research and exploration, a tension that echoes the infamous Mars failures of the past, ultimately leaving a lasting impact on future Mars missions.

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Source: [Wired](https://www.wired.com/story/how-nasa-oldest-martian-spacecraft-run-for-decades/)  
Published by News Central Site: https://newscentral.site/nasa-s-veteran-martian-spacecraft-provide-decades-of-information/