NASA spacecraft takes pictures of the largest volcano in the solar system

NASA’s Odyssey spacecraft, the longest-running Mars mission, orbited the Red Planet for the 100,000th time on July 1. To mark the milestone, NASA shared a panoramic image of Olympus Mons, the solar system’s tallest volcano, taken by Odyssey in March. The volcano’s base stretches 600 kilometers (370 miles) near the Martian equator, while its summit soars 27 kilometers (17 miles) into the planet’s thin atmosphere. Astronomers have discovered that morning frost covers the volcano’s summit for several hours each day, providing new insights into how polar ice circulates on the barren planet.

In Odyssey’s latest volcano image, the blue-white streak across Olympus Mons reveals the amount of dust floating in the Martian atmosphere at the time of the image, according to NASA. The thin purple layer above the volcano is likely a combination of atmospheric dust and blue-tinted water ice clouds. The blue-green layer at the top marks water ice clouds that reach about 30 miles above the Martian surface.

To capture the panoramic image, scientists directed Odyssey to slowly rotate its camera toward the Martian horizon, similar to how the International Space Station takes pictures of Earth. “Usually, we see Olympus Mons as a narrow strip from above, but when we point the spacecraft toward the horizon, we can see how large the mountain is compared to the surrounding landscape in one image. Not only is the image stunning, but it also provides unique scientific data,” said Jeffrey Plaut, Odyssey project scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California.

By taking similar images at different times of the year, scientists can study how the Martian atmosphere changes over the planet’s four seasons, each lasting between four and seven months. They said preparations for the latest image began in 2008, when another NASA mission called Phoenix landed on Mars. When Odyssey, which acts as a liaison between the lander and Earth, pointed its antenna at Phoenix, the team found that its camera could see the Martian horizon.

The Odyssey mission, launched in April 2001 and managed by JPL, was NASA’s first successful mission to Mars after two previous failures. In 1998, the Mars Climate orbiter burned up in the Martian atmosphere after mission engineers confused data between two measuring systems. A year later, the Mars Polar lander crashed into the Martian surface after its engine failed before touchdown.

Odyssey entered orbit around Mars in October 2001, revealing reserves of water ice beneath the planet’s surface that future astronauts could access. The spacecraft also mapped the red planet’s surface, including craters, helping astronomers learn about Mars’ history.

The spacecraft’s recent 100,000-orbit milestone means it has traveled 2.2 billion kilometers. The solar-powered spacecraft has no fuel gauge, so the mission team relies on mathematical calculations to estimate how much fuel is left. Recent calculations suggest Odyssey has about 4 kilograms of propellant left, enough to last the mission until the end of 2025.