NASA’s Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution orbiter (MAVEN) is approaching its destination over Mars. It's the first spacecraft sent specifically to research the red planet’s upper atmosphere.
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MAVEN left Earth on Nov. 18, 2013, on a mission to hunt for signs of oxygen and carbon dioxide, aiming to measure how the planet’s atmosphere interacts with the solar wind.
“These are important questions for understanding the history of Mars, its climate, and its potential to support at least microbial life,” said MAVEN’s principal investigator, Bruce Jakosky, according to a statement.
Now MAVEN is almost done with its 10-month, 442-million-mile trip. After about 30 minutes of deceleration burn from its engines, the orbiter is expected to be captured by Mars’ gravity on Sept. 21.
Once MAVEN is situated in its final orbit, it will start one standard earth year’s worth of experiments and measurements.