Tag Archives: Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN

MAVEN data solves Mars particle-beam puzzle

High above the surface of Mars’s sunlit side, protons of the solar wind begin to smash into the upper reaches of Mars’s atmosphere. NASA’s Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution Mission (MAVEN) spacecraft, which arrived at the Red Planet in 2014, … Continue reading

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MAVEN passes 600 days at Mars

The MAVEN spacecraft entered Mars’ orbit on September 21, 2014 and has now spent more than 600 (Earth) days exploring the climate history of the Red Planet through its atmosphere. In addition to keeping up with the mission on Facebook, … Continue reading

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MAVEN surveys the ionosphere of Mars

The ionosphere of Mars ‪plays a critical role in the loss of atmospheric gases and water to space. ‪MAVEN‬ has provided the first measurements of the composition of the ionosphere of Mars since Viking in 1976. Unlike Viking, which provided … Continue reading

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Comet’s flyby overwhelmed Mars’ magnetic field

Just weeks before the historic encounter of comet C/2013 A1 (Siding Spring) with Mars in October 2014, NASA’s Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft entered orbit around the Red Planet. To protect sensitive equipment aboard MAVEN from possible harm, … Continue reading

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MAVEN observes Phobos in ultraviolet

NASA scientists are closer to solving the mystery of how Mars’ moon Phobos formed. In late November and early December 2015, the MAVEN mission made a series of close approaches to the Martian moon Phobos, collecting data from within 300 … Continue reading

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MAVEN measures speed & rate of Mars atmosphere loss by solar wind stripping

The MAVEN mission has identified the process that appears to have played a key role in the transition of the Martian climate from an early, warm and wet environment that might have supported surface life to the cold, arid planet … Continue reading

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NASA briefing on fate of Mars atmosphere, Nov 5

NASA will provide details of key science findings from the agency’s ongoing exploration of Mars during a news briefing at 2 p.m. EST (19:00 UTC) on Thursday, Nov. 5, in the James Webb Auditorium at NASA Headquarters in Washington. The … Continue reading

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Protecting Mars astronauts from space radiation

On Aug. 7, 1972, in the heart of the Apollo era, an enormous solar flare exploded from the sun’s atmosphere. Along with a gigantic burst of light in nearly all wavelengths, this event accelerated a wave of energetic particles. Mostly … Continue reading

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MAVEN: Deep-dip campaign #4 ends successfully

NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft, in orbit at Mars since Sept. 21, 2014, has completed the fourth deep-dip campaign of its primary science mission. The series of five-day campaigns are designed to lower the periapsis (lowest altitude) of the spacecraft above ‪‎Mars‬ … Continue reading

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MAVEN: Deep-dip campaign #4 begins

MAVEN has successfully entered the fourth deep-dip campaign of the mission. Two maneuvers executed over the past two days have placed the MAVEN spacecraft into a deep-dip corridor, with a periapsis altitude of 121.2 km (75.3 mi), where Mars’ atmospheric … Continue reading

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