Planetary Science

ODY

613 tracked publications and 28,099 citations from 2002–2026. Mars Odyssey. Launched 2001. Life-cycle cost: $449M in 2025 dollars. Active Mission Window March 1, 2002 to January 1, 2024: 564 publications, 32 top-10% credit.

Orbiter · h-index 84 · 57 papers with 100+ citations · prime mission ended 2004

Lifetime

Scope Papers published from the first full month after science operations begin through 2 years after the mission ends. Citations are counted through the third calendar year after each paper appears. Methods Papers published from the first full month after science operations begin through 2 years after the prime mission ends. Citations are counted through the third calendar year after each paper appears. Methods Every tracked publication to date, with every citation to date. Methods

Key measures

Active Mission Window · papers March 1, 2002 to January 1, 2024
Tracked publicationsTracked publications: peer-reviewed research papers we found for the mission. The list may not be complete. Methods564
CitationsCitations received by the tracked publications in the selected scope. The two windowed scopes count each paper’s citations only within its citation window. Methods7,181
Mean citations per publicationMean citations: total citations divided by tracked publications in the selected scope. One blockbuster paper can lift it. Methods13
Median citations per publicationMedian citations: the middle paper’s citation count in the selected scope; half the papers have more, half fewer. A single blockbuster sways it less than the mean. Methods7.5
Uncited publicationsUncited publications: papers with no citations in the selected scope. Methods41 (7.3%)
Top-10% creditTop 10%: among the 10% most-cited papers from this division’s missions, ranked against papers published around the same time. A paper naming several missions is split evenly among the missions in this division that claim it, so counts can be fractional. Methods32 · 3.0% of division
Top-1% creditTop 1%: among the 1% most-cited papers from this division’s missions within the selected window. Not adjusted for publication year. A paper naming several missions is split evenly among the missions in this division that claim it, so counts can be fractional. Methods4 · 3.7% of division
Lifetime indices · every tracked publication to date, in any scope
h-indexh-index: the largest h such that h papers have at least h citations each. It only grows with time, so older missions score higher. Methods84
g-indexg-index: the largest g for which the g most-cited papers together hold at least g² citations. Like the h-index, but it lets the most-cited papers count for more. Methods139
m-index, as of October 4, 2026m-index: a mission’s h-index divided by the years since its first peer-reviewed paper. It falls every 1 January even when nothing else changes, so it belongs to the date shown; it also discounts the long operating life that larger missions paid for. Methods3.4
toritori (total research impact, from ADS): for every paper citing one of the mission’s papers, 1 divided by the citing paper’s reference count times the cited paper’s author count, summed, with self-citations removed. It favors citations from papers with short reference lists and from outside the mission’s own authors. Computed over the tracked citation graph, which can be slightly incomplete. Methods209
riqriq (research impact quotient): 1,000 times the square root of tori, divided by the years since the mission’s first paper. A rate, not a total, so it does not keep growing with age the way the h-index and tori do. Methods578

Tracked publications

  1. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) for the Mars 2001 Odyssey Mission

    Christensen, Philip R., 2004, SSRv

    880 citations

  2. Distribution of Hydrogen in the Near Surface of Mars: Evidence for Subsurface Ice Deposits

    Boynton, W. V., 2002, Sci

    804 citations

  3. Global Distribution of Neutrons from Mars: Results from Mars Odyssey

    Feldman, W. C., 2002, Sci

    475 citations

  4. Chloride-Bearing Materials in the Southern Highlands of Mars

    Osterloo, M. M., 2008, Sci

    425 citations

  5. Eight-year climatology of dust optical depth on Mars

    Montabone, L., 2015, Icar

    422 citations

  6. A synthesis of Martian aqueous mineralogy after 1 Mars year of observations from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

    Murchie, Scott L., 2009, JGRE

    413 citations

  7. Detection of methane in the martian atmosphere: evidence for life?

    Krasnopolsky, Vladimir A., 2004, Icar

    411 citations

  8. Evidence for Persistent Flow and Aqueous Sedimentation on Early Mars

    Malin, Michael C., 2003, Sci

    405 citations

  9. Morphology and Composition of the Surface of Mars: Mars Odyssey THEMIS Results

    Christensen, Philip R., 2003, Sci

    339 citations

  10. Maps of Subsurface Hydrogen from the High Energy Neutron Detector, Mars Odyssey

    Mitrofanov, I., 2002, Sci

    334 citations

  11. Global distribution of near-surface hydrogen on Mars

    Feldman, W. C., 2004, JGRE

    333 citations

  12. The presence and stability of ground ice in the southern hemisphere of Mars

    Mellon, Michael T., 2004, Icar

    325 citations

  13. Mars high resolution gravity fields from MRO, Mars seasonal gravity, and other dynamical parameters

    Konopliv, Alex S., 2011, Icar

    319 citations

  14. High-resolution thermal inertia derived from the Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS): Thermal model and applications

    Fergason, Robin L., 2006, JGRE

    287 citations

  15. Magnesium sulphate salts and the history of water on Mars

    Vaniman, David T., 2004, Natur

    275 citations

  16. A global solution for the Mars static and seasonal gravity, Mars orientation, Phobos and Deimos masses, and Mars ephemeris

    Konopliv, Alex S., 2006, Icar

    269 citations

  17. The global martian volcanic evolutionary history

    Werner, Stephanie C., 2009, Icar

    257 citations

  18. Perennial water ice identified in the south polar cap of Mars

    Bibring, Jean-Pierre, 2004, Natur

    255 citations

  19. Mosaicking of global planetary image datasets: 1. Techniques and data processing for Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) multi-spectral data

    Edwards, C. S., 2011, JGRE

    249 citations

  20. Evidence for Precipitation on Mars from Dendritic Valleys in the Valles Marineris Area

    Mangold, Nicolas, 2004, Sci

    244 citations

How we found these papers

We searched NASA’s Astrophysics Data System (ADS) for peer-reviewed articles naming ODY in the title, abstract or keywords; standard filters drop articles that are not peer-reviewed and magazine pieces. SciX is ADS’s current interface.

((=abs:"Mars Odyssey" OR ((abs:Odyssey OR abs:ODY OR abs:THEMIS OR abs:GRS OR =abs:"Gamma Ray Spectrometer" OR =abs:"Thermal Emission Imaging System") AND (abs:Mars OR abs:Martian)) OR (abs:HEND AND (abs:Mars OR abs:Odyssey)) OR =abs:"Odyssey data" OR =abs:"Odyssey observations" OR =abs:"Odyssey spacecraft" OR =abs:"Gamma-Ray Spectrometer on Odyssey" OR =abs:"Odyssey Gamma-Ray Spectrometer")) AND property:refereed AND doctype:article AND pubdate:[2002-03 TO 2040-01] AND NOT bibstem:("A&R" OR "AIASJ" OR "AeAm" OR "AirSp" OR "AsNow" OR "AsUAI" OR "AvWST" OR "C&E" OR "C&T" OR "CAPJ" OR "E&S" OR "ENews" OR "IrAJ" OR "JCos" OR "JRASC" OR "LAstr" OR "MNSSA" OR "Met" OR "NewSc" OR "Orion" OR "PhT" OR "PhTea" OR "PhuZ" OR "PhyOJ" OR "PhyW" OR "PlR" OR "SciAm" OR "SpFl" OR "ZemVs")

Open in SciX

Removed after review (27)

  1. An introduction—Geophysics: Doing it in space Introduction to a journal special section; not a research paper. Decision 🤖
  2. Study of hot flow anomalies using Cluster multi-spacecraft measurements Refers to the Earth-orbiting THEMIS mission; not Mars Odyssey's THEMIS camera. Decision 🤖
  3. 2021PhDT........10A Refers to the Earth-orbiting THEMIS mission; not Mars Odyssey's THEMIS camera. Decision 🤖
  4. Proposal on application of Russian technical facilities for International Mars Research Program for 2009 2015 Proposal for a future Mars programme; mentions Odyssey only as background. Decision 🤖
  5. Planetary protection implementation on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter mission Describes planetary protection for Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter; Odyssey is only a comparison. Decision 🤖
  6. 2018PhDT........11V Designs infrared instruments for other missions; cites Odyssey's THEMIS only as heritage. Decision 🤖
  7. The concept of gamma-ray remote sensing of Martian surface composition onboard a Mars Rover Concept for a rover gamma-ray instrument; does not mention Mars Odyssey. Decision 🤖
  8. Numerical modeling of mapping of Martian epithermal neutron emission: Applications to FREND investigation onboard ESA's Trace Gas Orbiter Modelling study for the FREND instrument on ExoMars TGO; cites Odyssey only for comparison. Decision 🤖
  9. Multipoint Detection of GRB221009A's Propagation through the Heliosphere Uses the Earth-orbiting THEMIS mission; not Mars Odyssey's THEMIS camera. Decision 🤖
  10. SHARP Shock Database Uses the Earth-orbiting THEMIS mission; not Mars Odyssey's THEMIS camera. Decision 🤖
  11. 2007pds..data...36T Data archive record, not a research paper. Decision 🤖
  12. 2007pds..data...37T Data archive record, not a research paper. Decision 🤖
  13. 2007pds..data...38T Data archive record, not a research paper. Decision 🤖
  14. 2009pds..data...36W Data archive record, not a research paper. Decision 🤖
  15. The Evolution of Compressible Solar Wind Turbulence in the Inner Heliosphere: PSP, THEMIS, and MAVEN Observations Uses the Earth-orbiting THEMIS mission; not Mars Odyssey's THEMIS camera. Decision 🤖
  16. 2022pds..data...54M Data archive record, not a research paper. Decision 🤖
  17. A Novel Flexible Architecture Based on SAM for Automatic Extraction of Rampart Craters From Martian High-Resolution Images Crater-mapping method; does not mention Mars Odyssey or its instruments. Decision 🤖
  18. 2025pds..data...32B Data archive record, not a research paper. Decision 🤖
  19. 2025pds..data...33B Data archive record, not a research paper. Decision 🤖
  20. 2025pds..data...34B Data archive record, not a research paper. Decision 🤖
  21. 2025pds..data...37B Data archive record, not a research paper. Decision 🤖
  22. 2025pds..data...38B Data archive record, not a research paper. Decision 🤖
  23. 2026pds..data....7B Data archive record, not a research paper. Decision 🤖
  24. Mars Science Laboratory Mission and Science Investigation Overview of the Mars Science Laboratory (Curiosity) mission; Mars Odyssey is mentioned only in passing. Decision 🤖
  25. Introduction to special section on the Phoenix Mission: Landing Site Characterization Experiments, Mission Overviews, and Expected Science Overview of the Phoenix mission; Mars Odyssey is mentioned only as context for the landing site. Decision 🤖
  26. Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Radio Science Gravity Investigation Description of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter gravity investigation; Mars Odyssey is mentioned only as a source of supporting tracking data. Decision 🤖
  27. Mission design of the Phoenix Mars Scout mission Mission design of the Phoenix lander; Mars Odyssey is mentioned only as context for the landing site. Decision 🤖