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MAVEN at the Limb of Mars, Artist's Concept

NASA's MAVEN mission is observing the upper atmosphere of Mars to help understand climate change on the planet. MAVEN entered its science phase on Nov. 16, 2014.

December 15, 2014

NASA's MAVEN mission is observing the upper atmosphere of Mars to help understand climate change on the planet. MAVEN entered its science phase on Nov. 16, 2014.

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NASA/GSFC

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NASA is preparing to launch a spacecraft to study the upper atmosphere of the planet Mars. It's called MAVEN or the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN.
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NASA's MAVEN Prepared for Trip to Mars
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NASA’s MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN) mission acquired stunning views of Mars in two ultraviolet images taken at different points along our neighboring planet’s orbit around the Sun.
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NASA’s MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN) mission acquired stunning views of Mars in two ultraviolet images taken at different points along our neighboring planet’s orbit around the Sun.
MAVEN Spacecraft Stuns with Ultraviolet Views of Red Planet
The Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph (IUVS) is a part of the Remote Sensing (RS) Package and measures global characteristics of the upper atmosphere and ionosphere via remote sensing.
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The Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph (IUVS) is a part of the Remote Sensing (RS) Package and measures global characteristics of the upper atmosphere and ionosphere via remote sensing.
Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph
Five decades of successful NASA missions to the Red Planet, 1965-2015.
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The Suprathermal and Thermal Ion Composition (STATIC) instrument is part of the Particles and Fields (P & F) Package and measures thermal ions to moderate energy escaping ions.
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Suprathermal And Thermal Ion Composition Instrument for MAVEN Spacecraft
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MAVEN Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph (IUVS) delivered to Lockheed Martin.
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MAVEN Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph (IUVS) delivered to Lockheed Martin.
MAVEN Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph
The MAVEN Electra UHF Transceiver Flight Model is shown here.
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The MAVEN Electra UHF Transceiver Flight Model is shown here.
MAVEN Electra UHF
MAVEN selfie composite, unannotated
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This is an unannotated selfie of the MAVEN spacecraft.
MAVEN Selfie Composite, Unannotated
The diagram explains the cause of Mars’ glowing nightside atmosphere. 
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diagram of Mars' glowing nightside atmostphere
Diagram of Mars' Glowing Nightside
This illustration shows how water is lost on Mars normally vs. during regional or global dust storms. 
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Illustration shows how water is lost on Mars
How Water is Lost on Mars (Illustration)
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
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)
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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, 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
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 tha...
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Investigating the Martian Atmosphere
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The MAVEN spacecraft structure is placed into a reaction chamber, where it completed a static loads test to ensure that it will withstand the extreme forces of launch.
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The MAVEN spacecraft structure is placed into a reaction chamber, where it completed a static loads test to ensure that it will withstand the extreme forces of launch.
MAVEN Spacecraft in Reaction Structure
Left column: From top to bottom, MAVEN data showing solar wind, solar energetic particles, proton aurora strength, diffuse aurora strength. On August 30th, a solar storm (a coronal mass ejection) i...
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From top to bottom, MAVEN data showing solar wind, solar energetic particles, proton aurora strength, diffuse aurora strength.
MAVEN Observes Martian Light Show
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 stands at Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida during a "wet dress rehearsal."
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The United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket stands at Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida during a "wet dress rehearsal."
Atlas V Dress Rehearsal for MAVEN Launch
Computer-generated visualization of the orbital paths (white dots) taken by the MAVEN spacecraft as it mapped winds (blue lines) in the Martian upper atmosphere.
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Computer-generated visualization of the orbital paths (white dots) taken by the MAVEN spacecraft as it mapped winds (blue lines) in the Martian upper atmosphere.
MAVEN Maps Wind in the Martian Upper Atmosphere
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 artist's concept depicts the Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph (IUVS) on NASA's MAVEN spacecraft scanning the upper atmosphere of Mars. IUVS uses limb scans to map the chemical makeup and verti...
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This illustration depicts the Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph (IUVS) on NASA's MAVEN spacecraft scanning the upper atmosphere of Mars.
Artist's Concept of MAVEN's Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph at Work
This is an artist's concept of the MAVEN spacecraft, showing the wedge-shaped “diving boards” that hold the Magnetometers at both ends of the solar arrays.
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This is an artist's concept of the MAVEN spacecraft, showing the wedge-shaped "diving boards" that hold the Magnetometers at both ends of the solar arrays.
Artist's Concept of MAVEN
NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission reached a milestone in September 2011.
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NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission reached a milestone in September 2011.
Primary Structure for MAVEN Spacecraft
This artist's concept depicts the early Martian environment (left) - believed to contain liquid water and a thicker atmosphere - versus the cold, dry environment seen at Mars today (right).
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This artist's concept depicts the early Martian environment (left) - believed to contain liquid water and a thicker atmosphere - versus the cold, dry environment seen at Mars today (right).
The Look of a Young Mars

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