AI Summary

NASA’s Mars Odyssey spacecraft arrived at the Red Planet on October 24, 2001 and has remained operational long enough to “rent a car without any fees,” a tongue‑in‑cheek reference to its durability. Its 20‑year‑old counterpart, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, shares a similarly extended mission, outlasting the expectations of anyone who witnessed their launches. Continuous observations from both orbiters have reshaped understanding of water on Mars, both past and present. Their longevity is credited to robust engineering, ongoing problem solving and a dose of luck, prompting scientists to question whether any future orbiters will match their record.

AI summaries can be wrong sometimes—always verify important details using the source article.