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NASA’S MAVEN SPACECRAFT entered orbit around Mars for an unprecedented study of the red planet’s atmosphere following a 442 million-mile journey that began nearly a year ago.
The robotic explorer successfully slipped into orbit around the red planet late Sunday night.
“I think my heart’s about ready to start again,” Maven’s chief investigator, Bruce Jakosky of the University of Colorado, said early Monday. “All I can say at this point is, ‘We’re in orbit at Mars, guys!’”
Now the real work begins for the $671 million mission, the first dedicated to studying the Martian upper atmosphere and the latest step in NASA’s bid to send astronauts to Mars in the 2030s.
Flight controllers in Colorado will spend the next six weeks adjusting Maven’s altitude and checking its science instruments, and observing a comet streaking by at relatively close range. Then in early November, Maven will start probing the upper atmosphere of Mars. The spacecraft will conduct its observations from orbit; it’s not meant to land.
Scientists believe the Martian atmosphere holds clues as to how Earth’s neighbor went from being warm and wet billions of years ago to cold and dry. That early wet world may have harbored microbial life, a tantalizing question yet to be answered.
NASA launched Maven last November from Cape Canaveral, the 10th U.S. mission sent to orbit the red planet. Three earlier ones failed, and until the official word came of success late Sunday night, the entire team was on edge.
“I don’t have any fingernails any more, but we’ve made it,” said Colleen Hartman, deputy director for science at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “It’s incredible.”
The spacecraft was clocking more than 10,000 mph when it hit the brakes for the so-called orbital insertion, a half-hour process. The world had to wait 12 minutes to learn the outcome, once it occurred, because of the lag in spacecraft signals given the 138 million miles between the two planets Sunday.
“Wow, what a night. You get one shot with Mars orbit insertion, and Maven nailed it tonight,” said NASA project manager David Mitchell.
Maven joins three spacecraft already circling Mars, two American and one European. And the traffic jam isn’t over: India’s first interplanetary probe, Mangalyaan, will reach Mars in two days and also aim for orbit. Jakosky wished the team well.
Jakosky, who’s with the University of Colorado’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics in Boulder, hopes to learn where all the water on Mars went, along with the carbon dioxide that once comprised an atmosphere thick enough to hold moist clouds.
The gases may have been stripped away by the sun early in Mars’ existence, escaping into the upper atmosphere and out into space. Maven’s observations should be able to extrapolate back in time, Jakosky said.
Maven will spend at least a year collecting data. That’s a full Earth year, half a Martian one. Its orbit will dip as low as 78 miles above the Martian surface as its eight instruments make measurements. The craft is as long as a school bus, from solar wingtip to tip, and as hefty as an SUV.
Maven will have a rare brush with a comet next month as Comet Siding Spring pass 82,000 miles from Mars
This is NASA’s 21st shot at Mars and the first since the Curiosity rover landed on the red planet in 2012.
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The only question is, would the water turn yellow or brown.
Double incontinence would unquestionably ensure.
Red
Ahh once it didn’t turn red that’s the main thing
Keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times. Lol.
Surely that’s a better question in regards to their wetsuits
how the Huck does she speak so well under water with a scuba mask on breathing app etc
It’s all fun and games till ‘Jaws’ shows up..
Diving with great whites is the height of stupidity. I do not know how more people are not eaten.
You should try it sometime, it’s pretty cool in fairness. Amazing beasts up close.
Might be something to do with the big steel cage kitty.
classic Sharky and George double team
Suprise suckers
Feck that sh*t!
@ ALAN Not everyone is on social media!
sharks just going: “any chance you could keep the bleedin’ noise down luv? Some of us have to live here you know”
Some believe sharks are as if not more intelligent than chimps….that’s how close they are too us. They learn and hunt in packs…best admired from afar
Yeah far enough away to be able to put the feet up on a recliner. :)
Karl Pilkington would have been proud of that one! Although contrary to what the movies will tell you shark attacks on humans are quite rare overall & scientists believe it’s usually because they mistake humans for something else. Other than that, I have to say this underwater footage is fantastic overall, beats the shit out of snorkeling anyway
Reminds me of that episode of Friends with the dog in the window of Phoebes taxi
The journal should really stick to news. It can’t quite keep up with social media. Seen this yesterday.
maybe you shouldn’t spend so much time on the computer Alan?
Shark bait!!!
It’s just a curious big fish, these folk were in it’s territory.
just when you thought it was safe to go back in the cage
Noah’s shark
then suddenly a brown trout appeared.
We’re gonna need a better cage.
Well yeah I’ll go diving where sharks are. Check the stupidity level….
It reminds me of the velociraptors in the first Jurassic park movie. One took the attention of the people, while the other one crept up behind them to eat them.
flanked by a clever girl !
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