The 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft, wrapped in protective covering, leaves the Space Assembly and Encapsulation Facility 2 on a transporter to Launch Pad 17-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The Mars Odyssey is scheduled for launch at 11:02 a.m. EDT April 7, 2001, aboard a Delta II rocket from Launch Pad 17-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. 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 KSC01pp0628