The rocket that will launch the Mars Odyssey spacecraft towards the Red Planet exhibits the mission logo seen from the left.

The Delta II rocket that will launch the Mars Odyssey spacecraft towards the Red Planet exhibits the mission logo (seen from the left). The Mars Odyssey is scheduled for launch April 7, 2001, at 11:02 a.m. EST. NASA’s latest explorer carries three scientific instruments to map the chemical and mineralogical makeup of Mars: a thermal-emission imaging system, a gamma ray spectrometer and a Martian radiation environment experiment. The imaging system will map the planet with high-resolution thermal images and give scientists an increased level of detail to help them understand how the mineralogy of the planet relates to the land forms. In addition, Odyssey will serve as a communications relay for U.S. and international landers arriving at Mars in 2003/2004