Various gases and isotopes collected from the air of Mars reveal a similar story. Red Planet was once a warm and wet 'home' for life. But everything now seems to dissapear, leaving a dry and cool planet as we know today.
That mystery is unpacked by scientists of the U.S. space agency (National Aeronautics and Space Administration / NASA). Armed with evidence which gathered by the Mars robotic spacecraft rover, Curiosity, they will send the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft to explore the planet's atmosphere.
 |
| The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft. (Picture from: http://www.space.com/) |
The spacecraft will be launched on November 18, 2013 local time was expected to investigate how the planet can be turned 180 degrees. In a few billion years, the warm and wet world, it turns into a barren desert and cold as it is now.
Given the MAVEN name to the spacecraft that is not without meaning. John Grunsfeld, Associate Administrator of NASA 's Science Mission, stating that Maven, which is taken from the Hebrew language, and has a meaning is a scholar, a trusted expert who tried to bring down his knowledge to others.
"MAVEN, as the origin of its etymology, will generate knowledge, so scientists can connect the dots about the Martian atmosphere and assist in future Mars explorers to travel to the planet," Grunsfeld said in a news conference at the end of last October.
The spacecraft will be launched by an Atlas 5 rocket that owned by United Launch Alliance from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. MAVEN need to be about 10 months before arriving at Mars. The spacecraft that has a weighs of 2,454 kg will entered in the elliptical orbit around the Mars in September, 2014.
When in Mars orbit, spacecraft worth U.S. $ 671 million it will investigate the upper layers of the Martian atmosphere. The scientists hope to use MAVEN to uncover how and why the Mars lost its atmosphere, its density is now only 1 percent over the Earth's atmosphere.
 |
| MAVEN Spacecraft Orbiting Mars in Artist's Conception. (Picture from: http://www.space.com/) |
"There could be two places are the atmosphere's destination," said Bruce Jakosky, a principal investigator of MAVEN. "The atmosphere was able to enter the planet's crust or to rise to the top the atmosphere and is lost in space. I think the question as to where the water goes, where CO2 (carbon dioxide) away from the Martian atmosphere in the past, that's what drives our exploration on Mars today."
 |
| Maven is shown studying how Mars loses its atmosphere to space in this artist's illustration. (Picture from: http://www.space.com/) |
There is a possibility of the solar wind is responsible for the disappearance of most of the Martian atmosphere. But Jakosky stated that there are various types of mechanisms may also play a role.
To investigate the causes behind the loss of the Martian atmosphere, MAVEN will bring a number of instruments to orbit the planet. One of the MAVEN's instruments is a specifically designed tool to measure the solar particles, solar wind ions, and solar wind electrons. Other instruments will examine the structure of the upper atmosphere. "The instruments that will investigate how the upper atmosphere of solar energy that struck responding in a variety of different formats," said Jakosky.
MAVEN launch can be done from November 18 to December 7, despite the launch deadlines remain open until December 15, 2013. If the spacecraft fails to launch within this time period, the MAVEN mission forced to wait up to two years until the Earth and Mars are aligned in such a position at this time . *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | SPACE | TJANDRA DEWI | KORAN TEMPO 4402]
Note: This blog can be accessed via your smart phone.
