April 07, 2001 -- A Boeing Delta II rocket roared into the sky on April 7, 2007, sending NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft to the red planet. Liftoff from Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 17A occurred at 11:02 a.m. EDT. The mission is a continuation of NASA's exploration of Mars. Due to planetary alignment, this is the first opportunity to go to Mars since January 1999. Thirty-one minutes after the launch, at an altitude of 850 nautical miles, the spacecraft separated from the Delta II third stage and began its six-month journey to Mars.