MAVEN Enters Mars Orbit

[Waspie_Dwarf]

NASA Mars Spacecraft Ready for Sept. 21 Orbit Insertion

NASA’s Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft is nearing its scheduled Sept. 21 insertion into Martian orbit after completing a 10-month interplanetary journey of 442 million miles.

Flight Controllers at Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Littleton, Colorado, will be responsible for the health and safety of the spacecraft throughout the process. The spacecraft’s mission timeline will place the spacecraft in orbit at approximately 9:50 p.m. EDT.

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[Waspie_Dwarf]

Investigating the Martian Atmosphere

The Martian surface bears ample evidence of flowing water in its youth, from crater lakes and riverbeds to minerals that only form in water. But today Mars is cold and dry, and scientists think that the loss of Mars' water may have been caused by the loss of its early atmosphere. NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN mission, or MAVEN, will be the first spacecraft devoted to studying the Red Planet's upper atmosphere, in an effort to understand how the Martian climate has changed over time.

Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

Source: NASA - Scientific Visualization Studio

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Arrival of Spacecraft at Mars, Previewed

NASA hosted a televised media briefing on September 17, to outline activities around the September 21 orbital insertion at Mars of the agency’s Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft. MAVEN is the first spacecraft dedicated to exploring the upper atmosphere of Mars. The mission’s goal is to determine how the loss of atmospheric gas to space played a role in changing the Martian climate through time.

Credit: NASA

Source: NASA - Multimedia

[Waspie_Dwarf]

MAVEN Mission Status Updates

Sept. 21, 2014

Everything is set for MAVEN’s arrival at Mars tonight. All spacecraft systems are operating nominally. MAVEN is right on track without the need for any further trajectory correction maneuvers.

Tonight MAVEN will slew (turn) to point the main engines in the direction of travel and fire for about 33 minutes in order to slow down the spacecraft enough to “capture” into Mars orbit. Although we have direct line of sight of MAVEN during the entire burn sequence, the observed data back on Earth will actually be viewed 12 minutes after the events occur because of the distance between Earth and Mars.

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[Waspie_Dwarf]

NASA’s Newest Mars Mission Spacecraft Enters Orbit around Red Planet

NASA’s Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft successfully entered Mars’ orbit at 10:24 p.m. EDT Sunday, Sept. 21, where it now will prepare to study the Red Planet’s upper atmosphere as never done before. MAVEN is the first spacecraft dedicated to exploring the tenuous upper atmosphere of Mars.

"As the first orbiter dedicated to studying Mars’ upper atmosphere, MAVEN will greatly improve our understanding of the history of the Martian atmosphere, how the climate has changed over time, and how that has influenced the evolution of the surface and the potential habitability of the planet," said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. "It also will better inform a future mission to send humans to the Red Planet in the 2030s."

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[shrooma]

NASA is currently examining the

planet Mars in order to work out why

it has changed from warm and wet

to cold and dry.

.

Maybe it got married.

.

Edited September 22, 2014 by shrooma

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Post Maven Mars Orbit Insertion News Conference

Credit: NASA

Source: NASA - Multimedia

[JVG]

Very interesting thanks for posting Waspie_Dwarf...

[b0wn]

Maybe it's best if we don't know what happened on mars.

someone play the twilight music!

[BiffSplitkins]

NASA's Newest Mars Mission Spacecraft Enters Orbit around Red Planet

"It also will better inform a future mission to send humans to the Red Planet in the 2030s."

That is so awesome. I never thought that something like that would happen in my generation. I just hope I live long enough to see it.

[Kobalt]

So what will this satelite do except flying around? They spent money for nothing these days.

Edited September 22, 2014 by Kobalt

[Waspie_Dwarf]

So what will this satelite do except flying around? They spent money for nothing these days.

If you don't know what it does how can you say it is money spent on nothing? There is no logic in your post.

[Kobalt]

can you tell us what would this satelite do that is SO important?!

you cant.

Edited September 22, 2014 by Kobalt

[toast]

These ppl are everywhere, at least one of them.

[Kobalt]

These ppl are everywhere, at least one of them.

Tells a guy who have Hawking in his signature.

As for this:

"I am discounting the reports of UFOs. Why would they appear only to cranks and weirdos?" - Stephen Hawking -

Tells a guy who isnt wierd at all.

[Sundew]

If we ever do colonize Mars one day, it would be prudent to have as much information as we can about the planet, so any information we gather may be of benefit. There is a cost/benefit ratio in all space exploration, perhaps in any exploration, but as the saying goes, nothing ventured, nothing gained. We may learn a great deal from this, but that is not to say that these space probes are inexpensive.

[Kobalt]

crucial word: one day!

meanwhile some people dont have nothing to eat!

[qxcontinuum]

Nice, i hope for full disclosure whatever it was or is....

[Waspie_Dwarf]

crucial word: one day!

meanwhile some people dont have nothing to eat!

And you are going to sell your computer to feed someone I take it... or are you another one that complains that there are poor people and someone else should do something about it?

Getting rid of the space programme would be no more effective at ending world hunger than you selling your computer.

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Nice, i hope for full disclosure whatever it was or is....

There is always full disclosure on NASA Mars missions. The fact that some people don't believe what is disclosed is not NASA's fault.

[CRYSiiSx2]

Kobalt you're so right. I'm going to sell everything I own to feed someone! Oh wait, all those lazy people who don't want to work are already be fed by me, I pay my taxes.

[shrooma]

Tells a guy who have Hawking in his signature.

.

do you know what makes Stephen Hawking angry....?

.

CAPS LOCK!!

.

[taniwha]

And you are going to sell your computer to feed someone I take it... or are you another one that complains that there are poor people and someone else should do something about it?

Getting rid of the space programme would be no more effective at ending world hunger than you selling your computer.

Exactly, even if it turns out mars is a giant peach we would still have world hunger.

[shrooma]

Exactly, even if it turns out mars is a giant peach we would still have world hunger.

.

because we'd all be busy fighting over who had the biggest spoon.....

.

[+Noteverythingisaconspiracy]

can you tell us what would this satelite do that is SO important?!

you cant.

It increases our knowledge of Mars and by extension our knowledge of the universe.

Seems pretty important to me !