NASA has announced it's next Mars mission as a part of the Mars Scout Program. Out of 20 mission investigation proposals, NASA has selected the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft, which will provide information about the Mars' atmosphere, climate history and potential habitability in more detail than ever before.
The MAVEN mission will cost $485 million and is scheduled for launch in late 2013. The spacecraft will arrive at the red planet in the fall of 2014, when will use it's propulsion system to enter an elliptical orbit ranging 90 to 3,870 miles above the planet. MAVEN will carry eight scientific instruments that will perform various tests and measurements during a full Earth year mission. The spacecraft is also expected to collect samples of Mars' upper atmosphere by going down to an altitude of 80 miles above the surface of the planet.
NASA
The MAVEN mission will cost $485 million and is scheduled for launch in late 2013. The spacecraft will arrive at the red planet in the fall of 2014, when will use it's propulsion system to enter an elliptical orbit ranging 90 to 3,870 miles above the planet. MAVEN will carry eight scientific instruments that will perform various tests and measurements during a full Earth year mission. The spacecraft is also expected to collect samples of Mars' upper atmosphere by going down to an altitude of 80 miles above the surface of the planet.
"This mission will provide the first direct measurements ever taken to address key scientific questions about Mars' evolution," said Doug McCuistion, director of the Mars Exploration Program at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
NASA
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