Science
MAVEN will attempt to determine what happened to the once-dense atmosphere of Mars. (Courtesy NASA) Click on image to watch full video.
MAVEN will have four primary scientific objectives:
1. Determine the role that loss of volatiles from the Mars atmosphere to space has played through time
2. Determine the current state of the upper atmosphere, ionosphere, and interactions with the solar wind
3. Determine the current rates of escape of neutral gases and ions to space and the processes controlling them
4. Determine the ratios of stable isotopes that will tell Mars’ history of loss through time
Click on the image below to view a presentation (6.2 MB PDF) of the latest MAVEN science update (February 28, 2012).
