NASA's Mars Odyssey and MRO Have Operated for Over Two Decades

Mars Odyssey arrived at the Red Planet on October 24, 2001, and continues working alongside the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter decades later. Engineers keep the missions alive through built-in margin, an updated star map and fuel-saving tricks, but the future of NASA's science orbiters at Mars remains uncertain.

• Mars Odyssey has operated at Mars since October 24, 2001
• MRO needed a new star map because stars drifted over 20 years
• Odyssey risks running out of fuel with no gauge to measure it
• NASA hired Blue Origin only for a dedicated communications orbiter