Comet Siding Spring past the Mars on Sunday, at a distance of 87,000 miles from the red planet which is less than half the distance between Earth and the Moon. Scientists are also hoping that the orbiters’ observations can also be used to gain new clues about the origin of our solar system.

The Mars Odyssey, the Mars Reconnaissance and the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) orbiter were part of a campaign to study a comet named ‘C/2013 A1 Siding Spring’ and the possible effects on the Martian atmosphere from gases and dust released by the comet.

The journey of this comet started a million years ago and travelled along billions of miles away in the Oort cloud, an icy region at the very outer edge of the solar system.

“The telemetry received from Mars Odyssey confirms not only that the spacecraft is in fine health but also that it conducted the planned observations of comet Siding Spring within hours of the comet’s closest approach to Mars,” said Odyssey Mission Manager Chris Potts of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California in the US.

The comet was first seen in January 2013 and the NASA was concerned that speeding dust particles might damage the expensive and delicate spacecraft in orbit around Mars.

NASA reported Sunday night that the closest approach of the comet’s nucleus came at about 2:27 p.m. ET. Dust and debris from the comet was reaching Mars at its peak about 100 minutes later.

“The spacecraft performed flawlessly throughout the comet flyby. It manoeuvered for the planned observations of the comet and emerged unscathed,” said Dan Johnston of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.