Odysseus Team is Cornell University's first space exploration design group. The team was started by four Mechanical and Aerospace engineers and one Electrical Engineer to study the sublimation of ice in a vacuum when in contact with a heated probe. This research was used by JPL to help design a probe that may one day penetrate through the crust of Jupiter's icy moon Europa.

As the years progressed, Odysseus Team started getting involved in other space related projects. The main one being NASA's MarsPort Competition. Odysseus Team took part in their first MarsPort competition during the year of 2001. Their goal was to design optimal configurations for a MarsPort Cryogenics and Consumables Station (MCCS)‚ a vital element of the complex infrastructure needed to launch spacecraft from the Martian surface. Odysseus Team came in second place in this national competition.

In 2002, the Odysseus Team took part in the MarsPort 2002 Competition. In late December the team was notified that they were choosen as one of the six finalist teams. Team Odysseus prepared their final design report for NASA and worked on their final presentation during the Spring semester. Eventually the team went to Florida during the third week of May to present their design to NASA. The team came in as a finalist in the competition.

In 2003, the Odysseus Team returned to action with a large group of initiates. They took part in the first round of the new SpacePort 2003 Competition to design a launch facility for a Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV). Having submitted the Spaceport 2003 Conceptual Design Review(CDR) Report on November 15th of 2002, the team was once again selected by NASA to compete as a finalist team.

In 2004, with the cancelation of the Spaceport competition, the Odysseus team had to look elsewhere for competitions with which to try their skills. After much searching, the team set their sights on the NASA revolutionary vehicle competition. The Odysseus Team was challenged to design an unmanned aircraft that could fly in the Martian atmosphere and measure the topography. On July 30, 2004, at an FAA Safety Hangar in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, the Odysseus Team was presented with the First Tier Award by NASA Langley Research Center for its Unmanned Mars Flyer. In addition, two of our team members won summer internships at NASA Langley

Currently, the team is participating in the AIAA student space design competition which involves the design of the systems and methods to interdict an Earth-crossing asteroid. The competition deadline is June 10, 2005.