NASA Begins Launch Preparations for Next Mars Mission
Baku, August 6 (AZERTAC). Just as the Curiosity rover marks its first 365 days on Mars, NASA has begun launch preparations for its next mission to the Red Planet.
The Mars Atmosphere and Volatiles Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft was delivered to the Kennedy Space Center on in Florida on Friday. MAVEN will remain inside a "clean room" while it is prepared for its scheduled November launch to Mars. MAVEN will undergo detailed testing and fueling in the sterile environment prior to being moved to its launch pad.
The MAVEN mission, which is NASA`s first dedicated attempt to study the upper portions of the Martian atmosphere, has a 20-day launch period which opens November 18. Scientist hope MAVEN will provide data that will help scientists better understand how the loss of atmospheric gas to space may have played a part in Mars` changing climate. After launch it will take about 10 months for Maven to make its way into Martian orbit, with a scheduled arrival in September 2014.
"We`re excited and proud to ship the spacecraft right on schedule," said David Mitchell, MAVEN project manager at NASA`s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. "But more critical milestones lie ahead before we accomplish our mission of collecting science data from Mars. I firmly believe the team is up to the task. Now we begin the final push to launch."
On Friday the spacecraft was transferred to the Kennedy Space Center from Buckley Air Force base in Aurora, Colo. on board a C-17 cargo plane. The spacecraft was designed and built by Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Littleton, Colo.
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