After roughly ten month of travel , NASA’sMars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution ( MAVEN)spacecraft will be reaching the red satellite and participate an elliptical orbit on September 21 at around 9:50 pm EDT . Thrusters will slow the spacecraft down , allowing it to be pulled into orbit over a span of 35 hours .
After MAVEN begins its orbit , it will spend the first six week of the mission getting situated and performing various test to ensure all instruments are work right . Once all of the preliminary tryout are done and MAVEN is ready to go , it will get down its skill mission that is expected to last one Earth year .
MAVEN orbit insertion trajectory image credit : NASA / Goddard Space Flight Center
MAVEN ’s charge will be to analyse the ionosphere and upper atmosphere of Mars and influence how it is affected by solar wind . More importantly , datum collected by MAVEN will set about to excuse why Mars , which used to have an ambiance thick enough to support liquid piddle on the surface , has almost nothing now .
" The MAVEN science mission focuses on answer question about where did the water that was present on other Mars go , about where did the carbon dioxide go , " principal tec Bruce Jakoskyexplained in a press liberation . " These are crucial interrogation for understanding the history of Mars , its mood , and its potency to corroborate at least microbic spirit . ”
There has beenconsiderable debateregarding Mars ’s former habitableness . Most of the support comes through grounds of swimming water , which is essential for life as we eff it .
" MAVEN is another NASA robotic scientific explorer that is paving the way for our journeying to Mars , " NASA ’s Jim Greenadded . " Together , robotics and humans will initiate the Red Planet and the solar system to help answer some of humanity ’s central questions about life beyond Earth . "
MAVEN ’s insertion into Martian range , as well as the events leading up to it , will be broadcast live by NASA . you may tune into all of the events right here ; all time are EDT :
Thursday , September 18 - 6:00 am - Replay of MAVEN Pre Mars Orbit Insertion News Briefing
Sunday , September 21 - 11:59 am - Post MAVEN - Mars Orbit Insertion News Conference
Sunday , September 21 - 9:30 pm - Live Coverage of MAVEN - Mars Orbit Insertion
Broadcast live stream video on Ustream
