The Real Odyssey

The discovery of water ice on Mars will always be attributed to NASA’s Odyssey spacecraft. But the real Odyssey began decades ago, with the Viking missions and the hints of ice and water it returned.

Ever since, scientists have been on a step-by-step odyssey to search for water. Each spacecraft has been refined to make new and different observations based on what previous missions learned.

Deep blue reveals water ice. Full Story

This image is not stunning, but the science it yielded goes down as one of the year’s most significant space science discoveries. Revealed in March, it shows Mars holds vast stores of water ice right near the surface and away from the permanently frozen south polar ice cap.

Odyssey has since discovered water ice elsewhere on the Red Planet, continuing to whet astronomers appetites for the melted variety they hope to eventually find.

Next Page: Hubble's New Eyes