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Throughout the entire mission, the MAVEN team will provide opportunities for the general public, members of the media, educators, and students to get involved in the project in a variety of manners.

By providing print and digital resources, professional development opportunities, community outreach forums, teacher workshops, and social media interactions, the MAVEN team intends to bring the excitement and enthusiasm about Mars, space, and science in general to those who want to join us on the next mission to the Red Planet.

MAVEN successfully launched aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 401 rocket at 1:28 p.m. EST on Monday, Nov. 18.

MAVEN lift off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station was captured in this image from just off Space Launch Complex 41. MAVEN will spend about 10 months in cruise to Mars, where it is scheduled to enter its science mapping orbit on September 22, 2014. (Courtesy ULA)
MAVEN lift off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station was captured in this image from just off Space Launch Complex 41. MAVEN will spend about 10 months in cruise to Mars, where it is scheduled to enter its science mapping orbit on September 21, 2014. (Courtesy ULA)

Watch the complete NASA TV launch day coverage:

MAVEN Orbit Insertion

The MAVEN spacecraft successfully entered into Mars Orbit on September 21, 2014 at 10:24 p.m. EDT.

The 33 minute and 15 second Mars Orbit Insertion (MOI) maneuver with a thrust of 1195 Newtons, reduced the spacecraft’s velocity (delta-V or ∆V) by 1230.5 m/s (2752 mph) and captured MAVEN into a stable 35-hour orbit period with an inclination of 74.2 degrees.

Preliminary post MOI maneuver navigation analysis indicates a nominal maneuver performance with a captured orbit apoapsis altitude of 44,500 km and a periapsis altitude of 382 km (an eccentricity of 0.85).

Next up in the transition to the science operations phase is the first Periapsis Lowering Maneuver, which will lower periapsis to ~200 km, and the first Period Reduction Maneuver, which will reduce the orbit period to 5.5 hours. PRM-1 is approximately 47% of the MOI Delta-V (DV).

MAVEN MOI Timeline (106 KB PDF)
MAVEN MOI Timeline
(106 KB PDF)
MAVEN MOI facts (1.1 MB PDF)
MAVEN MOI facts
(1.1 MB PDF)