KSC-01PP-0633

With the Delta II rocket’s first and second stages standing by (right), the Mars Odyssey orbiter is lifted up the gantry on Launch Pad 17-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, for mating with the Delta II. The spacecraft will map the Martian surface in search of geological features that could indicate the presence of water, now or in the past, and may contribute significantly toward understanding what will be necessary for a more sophisticated exploration of Mars. Launch is scheduled for 11:02 a.m. EDT April 7