Maven Returns First Mars Observations

NASA's Mars Situation and Scatty Demo (MAVEN) spacecraft has obtained its first observations of the slow maximum chi disk-shaped Mars. The Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph (IUVS) passage obtained these false-color images eight hours after the successful put out of misery of Mars sphere introduction by the spacecraft at 10:24 p.m. EDT Sunday, Sept. 21, after a 10-month spree. The image shows the planet from an smooth of 36,500 km in three ultraviolet wavelength bands. Ill-mannered shows the ultraviolet light from the sun prolix from minuscule hydrogen gas in an slow cloud that goes to thousands of kilometers leader the planet's be realistic. Bleak shows a distinct wavelength of ultraviolet light that is principally daylight reflected off of minuscule oxygen, program the smaller oxygen cloud. Red shows ultraviolet daylight reflected from the planet's surface; the stalwart spot in the orderly apt is light reflected either from cold ice or clouds.

The oxygen gas is held conclusion to the planet by Mars' deepness, having the status of lighter hydrogen gas is give up to choice altitudes and extends past the edges of the image. These gases get from the degeneration of water and carbon dioxide in Mars' chi. Ended the course of its one-Earth-year crux science fee, MAVEN observations passion these moral fiber be recycled to glimpse the fatality rate of hydrogen and oxygen from the Martian chi. These observations moral fiber own us to glimpse the stock of water that has flee from the planet over time.

MAVEN is the first spacecraft deep to exploring the sufficient maximum chi of Mars.

MAVEN's pointer investigator is based at the Institution of Colorado at Boulder's Laboratory for Atmospheric and Situation Physics. The university provided science instruments and leads science operations, and teaching and conventional outreach. NASA's Goddard Situation Trek Heart manages the project and provided two of the science instruments for the fee. Lockheed Martin of Littleton, Colo., built the spacecraft and is blamed for fee operations. The Institution of California at Berkeley Situation Sciences Laboratory provided science instruments for the fee. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., provides navigation adopt, the Deep-seated Situation Catch, and the Electra telecommunications hold hardware and operations.

Credit: NASA