11 Facts About MAVEN

MAVEN is an American spacecraft orbiting Mars to study the loss of its atmospheric gases to space, providing insight into the history of the planet's climate and water.

MAVEN was launched on an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, on 18 November 2013 UTC and went into orbit around Mars on 22 September 2014 UTC.

MAVEN's took over from Bruce Jakosky of the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado Boulder, who proposed and led the mission until 2021.

On 2 August 2013, the MAVEN spacecraft arrived at Kennedy Space Center, in Florida to begin launch preparations.

Goal of MAVEN is to determine the history of the loss of atmospheric gases to space, providing answers about Martian climate evolution.

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MAVEN launched from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on 18 November 2013, using an Atlas V 401 launch vehicle.

In June 2015, the science phase was extended through September 2016, allowing MAVEN to observe the Martian atmosphere through the entirety of the planet's seasons.

On 3 October 2016, MAVEN completed one full Martian year of scientific observations.

In March 2017, MAVEN's investigators had to perform a previously unscheduled maneuver to avoid colliding with Phobos the following week.

MAVEN was built and tested by Lockheed Martin Space Systems.

In 2014, MAVEN researchers detected widespread aurora throughout the planet, even close to the equator.