NASA’s Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution spacecraft (MAVEN) is studying Mars’s atmosphere. MAVEN was launched in November 2013 and arrived and arrived at Mars in September 2014. The MAVEN mission is helping scientists learn about how Mars loses its atmosphere and how/when the planet lost its water.
MAVEN is an orbiter spacecraft so it orbits Mars and collects data using instruments it has on board. MAVEN used a mass spectrometer to detect solar wind entering the upper atmosphere. Spectrometers determine what elements make up materials that pass through it. MAVEN also has a magnetometer that measures the electrical charge of when solar wind hits atmospheric particles. These collisions create a magnetic field that pushes the particles away from Mars. MAVEN’s observations showed scientists that elements that used to be part of water and carbon dioxide (hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon) on Mars’ surface, were leaving the planet’s atmosphere.
In chapter 7, we read about the different types of spacecraft and how they compare to each other. Orbiter spacecraft are more expensive than flyby spacecraft, orbiters allow for longer-term study. The MAVEN mission cost a total of $582.5 million, and the average annual cost of operating is $20.5 million. Something I found interesting is that since MAVEN has enough fuel to last until 2030, NASA also uses it to replace the communication relay duties of older satellites.
Other sources: Textbook chapter 7
Angela Harris 
Leave a comment