Odyssey Imager Starts Mapping Today

Bamfarooni writes: "The THEMIS thermal infrared and visible imaging spectrometer aboard the Odyssey spacecraft successfully turned on today and started its mapping mission. Once data starts coming back, images will be released directly to the web on a daily basis." Here's a link to more on the history and goals of the project.

Comments

Errm - just turned on, or just started mission?

[Liquor]

The THEMIS thermal infrared and visible imaging spectrometer aboard the Odyssey spacecraft successfully turned on today and started its mapping mission.

According to the linked article, the THEMIS imager was turned on back on Nov 2, last year, and had already produced a number of images. I suspect that you mean that they're now at the point where they can turn it on and leave it operating on a regular basis. Or at least, that they are really considering the spacecraft itself ready to start mapping.

The only additional information I can find is on the Mars Odyssey spacecraft site that indicates that they haven't even finished calibration yet, but does state (or misstate?) that the THEMIS camera system was turned on today. It also states that there are other instruments (the gamma ray spectrometer at least) that were turned on for apparently the first time today.