MISSION_OBJECTIVES_SUMMARY |
The 2001 Mars Odyssey Orbiter Mission had 5 detailed science goals each of which was to be addressed by a specific instrument [JPLD-16303]. (1) GRS globally mapped the elemental composition of the surface. (2) GRS determined the abundance of hydrogen in the shallow subsurface. (3) THEMIS acquired high spatial and spectral resolution images of the surface mineralogy. (4) THEMIS provided information of the morphology of the Martian surface. (5) MARIE characterized the Martian near-surface radiation environment as related to radiation-induced risk to human explorers. During the Extended Mission, the science teams operated the instruments mostly in their nominal modes, with the scientific objectives of: (1) Completing coverage, (2) Improving the signal-to-noise ratio of measurements, (3) Observing interannual variations and other secular changes, (4) Acquiring data complementary to those obtained by other spacecraft at Mars. Each instrument had additional, more specific objectives: THEMIS ------ The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) had five, more narrowly defined science objectives for the Primary Mission: (1) To determine the mineralogy and petrology of localized deposits associated with hydrothermal or sub-aqueous environments, and to identify sample return sites likely to represent these environments. (2) To search for pre-dawn thermal anomalies associated with active sub-surface hydrothermal systems. (3) To study small-scale geologic processes and landing site characteristics using morphologic and thermophysical properties. (4) To investigate polar cap processes at all seasons using infrared observations at high spatial resolution. (5) To provide a direct link to the global hyperspectral mineral mapping from the MGS TES by utilizing the same infrared spectral region at high (100m) spatial resolution. Additional objectives in the Extended Mission: (6) To complete the global mapping of surface mineralogy. (7) To build global mosaics. (8) To monitor polar-cap growth, retreat, volatile exchange, and energy balance. (9) Monitor the temporal and spatial variability of dust and water ice aerosols. GRS --- The Gamma Ray Spectrometer (GRS) had the following more specific science objectives [JPLD-16303] for the Primary Mission: (1) To determine quantitatively the elemental abundances of the martian surface to an accuracy of 10% or better at a spatial resolution of 300 km. (2) To map the abundances of CO2 and hydrogen (with water depth inferred) over the entire planet. (3) To determine the depth of the seasonal polar ice caps and their variation with time. (4) To study the nature of cosmic gamma-ray bursts. Additional objectives in the Extended Mission: (5) To map additional elements. (6) To monitor seasonal and interannual variations. (7) To simultaneously observe the atmosphere with the Mars Climate Sounder on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. (8) To locate gamma-ray bursts. MARIE ----- The Martian Radiation Environment Experiment (MARIE) had the following more specific science objectives: (1) To measure radiation from the Sun and from sources beyond the solar system that could cause cancer or damage the central nervous system. (2) To measure for the first time the radiation environment outside the Earth's protective magnetosphere. (3) To predict anticipated radiation doses that might be experienced by future astronauts and help determine possible effects of Martian radiation on human beings. RADIO SCIENCE ------------- Although not a recognized science objective of the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission, improvement of models of the Mars gravity field was supported by collection and archiving of spacecraft radio tracking data by the Planetary Data System. EXTENDED MISSION THEMES ----------------------- Several themes were common to the extended mission science plans. First was the opportunity to collect data for an additional Mars year, to observe and evaluate interannual variability. The Odyssey instrument complement could observe many aspects of the Martian annual cycle, including volatile deposition and sublimation in polar regions, dust storm occurrence, and cloud and aerosol phenomena. Second, for the Gamma Ray Spectrometer (GRS), the increased temporal coverage allowed monitoring of the Martian environment as the solar cycle approached its minimum. This affected the radiation environment, and the increased flux of galactic cosmic rays increased the production of secondary neutrons and gamma rays, providing an enhanced signal for the GRS instruments' studies of the Martian surface. Finally, additional observations also increased the quality of many of the Odyssey data sets. For GRS, the added accumulation time of observation allowed the team to reduce the uncertainties on the elemental abundances, to generate higher resolution maps of many of the elements, and to derive abundances for elements that were not previously mappable. For THEMIS, the extended mission provided the time and bandwidth to obtain early time-of-day infrared data for much of the planet and to complete high-resolution visible image mosaics.
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