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MAVEN Countdown Underway

The countdown is underway at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex 41 where a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket stands ready to boost the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution, or MAVEN, spacecraft on a 10-month journey to the Red Planet.

November 18, 2013

The countdown is underway at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex 41 where a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket stands ready to boost the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution, or MAVEN, spacecraft on a 10-month journey to the Red Planet.

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NASA

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At Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the United Launch Alliance Centaur second stage is lifted for stacking atop its Atlas V first stage at Launch Pad 41 in preparation for the Mars Atmo...
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At Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the United Launch Alliance Centaur second stage is lifted for stacking atop its Atlas V first stage at Launch Pad 41 in preparation for the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution, or MAVEN, mission.
MAVEN's Centaur Second Stage Lifted
Mars’ nightside atmosphere glows and pulsates in this data animation from MAVEN spacecraft observations. Green-to-white false color shows the enhanced brightenings on Mars’ ultraviolet “nightglow" ...
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Mars Nightglow Animation from MAVEN Observations
Mars Nightglow Animation from MAVEN Observations
MAVEN observations of a proton aurora. In the top panel, natural variability of the solar wind results in occasional dense flows of solar wind protons bombarding Mars. 
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Proton aurora with MAVEN data
Proton Aurora with MAVEN Data
A map of MAVEN's Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph (IUVS) auroral detections in December 2014 overlaid on Mars’ surface.
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A map of MAVEN's Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph (IUVS) auroral detections in December 2014 overlaid on Mars' surface.
Ultraviolet Aurora on Mars
Phobos as observed by MAVEN's Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph.
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Phobos as observed by MAVEN's Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph.
Phobos Observed by MAVEN
Scientists think that the collision of neutral hydrogen molecules may have helped to drive the Martian atmosphere into space over billions of years.
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Mars Atmospheric Loss: Neutral Processes
Mars Atmospheric Loss: Neutral Processes
Members of the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) team celebrate at the Lockheed Martin operations center in Littleton, Colorado, Sunday night, after getting confirmation that the space...
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This image shows about 20 people wearing black shirts and mic headset clapping to celebrate MAVEN's arrival at Mars.
Celebration: MAVEN Arrives at Mars
NASA Science missions circle Earth, the Sun, the Moon, Mars and many other destinations within our solar system, including spacecraft that look out even further into our universe. The Science Fleet...
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NASA Science missions circle Earth, the Sun, the Moon, Mars and many other destinations within our solar system, including spacecraft that look out even further into our universe. The Science Fleet depicts the scope of NASA's activity and how our missions have traveled throughout the solar system.
SMD Spacecraft Fleet
Artist’s conception of MAVEN’s Imaging UltraViolet Spectrograph (IUVS) observing the “Christmas Lights Aurora" on Mars. MAVEN observations show that aurora on Mars is similar to Earth’s "Northern L...
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Artist's conception of MAVEN's Imaging UltraViolet Spectrograph (IUVS) observing the "Christmas Lights Aurora" on Mars. MAVEN observations show that aurora on Mars is similar to Earth's "Northern Lights" but has a different origin.
Artist's Concept of MAVEN Observing Aurora on Mars
This is an artist's model of an early Mars - billions of years ago - which may have had oceans and a thicker atmosphere.
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This is an artist's model of an early Mars — billions of years ago — which may have had oceans and a thicker atmosphere.
Mars Evolution from Wet to Dry
NASA managers poll the launch team to ensure all is ready for the liftoff of an Atlas V at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex 41.
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MAVEN Ready for Launch
MAVEN Ready for Launch
NASA's MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN) spacecraft, inside a payload fairing, is hoisted to the top of a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket at the Vertical Integration Facility at ...
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NASA's MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN) spacecraft, inside a payload fairing, is hoisted to the top of a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket at the Vertical Integration Facility at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex 41.
MAVEN Spacecraft Positioned Atop Atlas V Rocket
Five decades of successful NASA missions to the Red Planet, 1965-2015.
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50 Years of Mars Exploration
50 Years of Mars Exploration
This visualization shows MAVEN and Comet Siding Spring making their way through the solar system to a close encounter near Mars. This animation maintains a fixed camera above the ecliptic plane of ...
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Comet Siding Spring Wide Shots (Fixed)
Comet Siding Spring Wide Shots (Fixed)
This image of the Mars night side shows ultraviolet emission from nitric oxide (abbreviated NO)
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This image of the Mars night side shows ultraviolet emission from nitric oxide (abbreviated NO)
Mars' Nightside Atmosphere
The Remote Sensing package aboard the MAVEN spacecraft, was conceived, designed and built by the University of Colorado’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (CU/LASP) at Boulder.
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The Remote Sensing package aboard the MAVEN spacecraft, was conceived, designed and built by the University of Colorado's Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (CU/LASP) at Boulder.
Remote Sensing Package for MAVEN Spacecraft
Mars is experiencing large regional dust storms over its northern hemisphere during the past week.
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This movie was acquired by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter’s Mars Colour Imager (MARCI) camera.
The Martian Dust Storm of June 2018
The United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket lifts off from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station carrying the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution, or MAVEN, spacecraft on a 1...
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The United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket lifts off from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station carrying the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution, or MAVEN, spacecraft on a 10-month journey to the Red Planet. Liftoff was at 1:28 p.m. EST.
Liftoff of MAVEN
MAVEN, which stands for Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution, is a new NASA spacecraft embarking on a mission to study Mars' upper atmosphere, seeking to learn how the atmosphere and environment ...
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MAVEN to Explore Upper Atmosphere of Mars
MAVEN to Explore Upper Atmosphere of Mars
MAVEN Launching.
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MAVEN Launching
MAVEN Launching
This is a side view of an artist's conception of NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution MissioN (MAVEN) Mars orbiter.
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This is a side view of an artist's conception of NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution MissioN (MAVEN) Mars orbiter.
Artist's Concept of MAVEN side view
The United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket with NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft launches from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Space Launch Complex 41, Monday, N...
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The United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket with NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft launches from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Space Launch Complex 41, Monday, Nov. 18, 2013, Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Taking Flight at Cape Canaveral
Following liftoff of the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution, or MAVEN, spacecraft from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden congratulated the agency and contracto...
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NASA Administrator Congratulates MAVEN Launch Team
NASA Administrator Congratulates MAVEN Launch Team
This radio hardware, the Electra UHF Transceiver on NASA's MAVEN mission to Mars, is designed to provide communication relay support for robots on the surface of Mars.
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This radio hardware, the Electra UHF Transceiver on NASA's MAVEN mission to Mars, is designed to provide communication relay support for robots on the surface of Mars.
Electra Relay Radio on MAVEN Mission to Mars
At Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex 41 a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket stands ready to boost the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution, or MAVEN, spacecraft on a 10-...
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At Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex 41 a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket stands ready to boost the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution, or MAVEN, spacecraft on a 10-month journey to the Red Planet.
MAVEN Ready for Launch

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