MAVEN heads for Mars

Yesterday, a new attempt at learning the
mysteries of early Martian history came a
step closer to an answer. At 1:28 pm EST,
NASA’s unmanned Mars Atmosphere and
Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN ) probe
launched from Space Launch Complex
41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station,
Florida atop a United Launch Alliance
Atlas V rocket. It’s the first step in a
mission to study the Martian upper
atmosphere and learn more about the
history of the planet’s climate.
According to NASA, today’s launch went
without a hitch. The Atlas V rocket lifted
off on schedule, with the RD-180 engine
producing 860,200 lb of thrust. After first
stage separation, the Centaur upper stage
ignited 4 minutes and 18 seconds into the
flight. Its first burn completed, the Centaur
coasted until 2:09 pm EST before firing its
RL-10 engine again to send MAVEN on its
way to Mars.
At 2:20 pm, NASA announced MAVEN’s
separation from the Centaur and 20
minutes later, the spacecraft unfurled its
solar panels as it began its 10-month
journey.
Artist's concept of MAVEN in orbit (Photo:
NASA)
The MAVEN spacecraft was delivered to
Cape Canaveral on August 2 aboard a US
Air Force C-17 cargo plane. Since then,
it's undergone hardware installations,
testing, and fueling. In October, the partial
shutdown of the US federal government
put the November launch date into
jeopardy and almost caused a 26-month
delay.
MAVEN’s one-year mission begins in
September of next year, when it goes into
Martian orbit. Its purpose is to study the
history of the Martian atmosphere and the
processes that affect it, such as the rate
of atmosphere loss, how the upper
atmosphere interacts with the solar wind,
and the ratios of various isotopes. These
will later be compared with similar
measurements taken by the Curiosity
rover on the Martian surface.
The video below shows the moment of
separation from the Centaur upper stage.
Source: NASA