MAVEN is the spacecraft that is studying the upper atmosphere of the Mars. This spacecraft started its science mission in 2014 and had revealed many facts about Red Planet. After the completion of its 1000 earth days in Martian atmosphere, MAVEN has come up with many new discoveries. It is through this spacecraft that NASA is observing the Martian climate. Even the spacecraft has shown the changes in Martian climate over past years. It has determined the role of loss of atmospheric gas in changing the climate of Mars over time.
NASA is happy over the spacecraft’s observation of the Mars which is into the second Martian year now. Now, MAVEN is looking at the ways the solar cycle and the seasonal cycle has affected the system at Mars. The spacecraft has also measured the rate at which the solar winds are stripping the atmospheric gas from Martian atmosphere. It has revealed the whole removal process in detail.
The spacecraft has observed that some particles of the solar winds penetrate deep into the Martian climate. These particles, Instead of diverting, showed a negative effect on Martian climate. This is because of iron particles in the ionosphere around the atmosphere of the planet. These iron particles came from the dust storms hitting the planet overtimes.
Another investigator says that MAVEN has given us a clear picture of Martian atmosphere. It shows the interactions of atmosphere with the Sun and the solar winds. This has enabled us to study the behavior of atmosphere of today. It has also observed the changes in the atmosphere through the time. The spacecraft has also observed the complex behavior of gaseous nitric oxide and ozone layer in the atmosphere of the planet.
This complexity is due to exchange of gases between upper and lower layers of the Martian atmosphere. These changes are yet to be studied by the researchers. These changes have made the planet a place unable to live.
NASA launched its MAVEN mission in space in 2013. It was dedicated to studying the Martian surface which started in 2014. On June 17, 2017, the spacecraft completed its 1000 earth days.
