Printout of aerobraking-related data

Odyssey's lead navigator, Bob Mase, says the aerobraking effort has "generally gone better than expected.

"The atmosphere did not behave exactly as we predicted, but we were able to compensate for the weather patterns that we experienced. We are actually finishing ahead of schedule, which is better than we anticipated."

Challenges along the way included occasional telecommunications outages between Odyssey and NASA' Deep Space Network, when bad weather or other glitches cut off the two-way radio link with the spacecraft. And despite daily reports, Mars' weather created some hurdles, too, says Mase.

"We were surprised by the polar vortex that we observed in the atmosphere near the north pole. The atmosphere was very turbulent in that region, but very quiet near the pole. So although we had to slow down to get through the edge of the vortex, we were able to make up time while we were in the quiet polar region."

But no matter what problems were thrown at the team, he says, "we were always able to work around them."

Odyssey navigator Darren Baird had volunteered for the graveyard shift because of the lonely but challenging learning opportunity it offered. He'll miss the frequent 5 a.m. visits by Odyssey project manager Matt Landano, who'd pop in for early morning updates on the mission's progress. Little perks also made the graveyard shift more easily manageable. "As stupid as this may sound, you're guaranteed a great parking spot" at the sprawling JPL campus, Baird noted. Nonetheless, he looks forward to a return to the sunlit working world so he can resume acquaintances with his girlfriend and family and return to a life of normal sleep cycles.

For navigator Peter Antreasian, "the hardest part is going home exhausted at 9 a.m., wanting to sleep, but getting a wide-awake three-year-old jumping on your stomach instead." He described the aerobraking phase as stressful, but well worth the sacrifice. The successful results Odyssey's aerobraking, he says, "have led us to a standard for aerobraking that's going to be pretty commonplace on missions in the future."