Launch Information - Archive Page

NASA's return to Mars began at 11:02 a.m. Eastern time this morning as the 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft roared into space onboard a Delta II launch vehicle from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. About 53 minutes later, at 11:55 a.m. Eastern time, flight controllers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory received the first signal from the spacecraft through the Deep Space Network station in Canberra, Australia indicating that all is well aboard the orbiter.

The following launch replays are available:

Real Video (requires Real Player plugin)

• A 6-minute video from Kennedy Space Center. The video shows launch, solid rockets burnout and jettison, main engine cuttoff, 1st stage separation, 2nd stage ignition and fairings jettison.
• A 3-minute video from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The video shows 2nd stage cuttoff, spinup of the spacecraft, and second stage separation.