Crews go to warp drive to ready Odyssey. (Presstime Notes).(next Mars spacecraft launch set for...

Prepping the next Mars spacecraft for its spring launch has taken on a speed to rival the takeoff velocity of the Delta 2 rocket that will hoist Odyssey aloft. Striving to beat the April 7 launch date, Teams have virtually sped into warp drive with round-the-clock, six day workweeks instituted.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) designed Odyssey and Lockheed Martin Astronautics built the orbiter, shipping it from Colorado to Florida on Jan. 4, 2001. Commitment to making Odyssey's three-year orbiting mission a success has brought together engineers and technicians f