A US satellite entered Martian orbit late Sunday with the goal of answering questions about the Red Planet’s early atmosphere.
The US Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution, or Maven, spacecraft arrived after a 10-month, 711-million-kilometre journey, NASA said.
Scientists will spend six weeks testing the 11-metre-long craft’s instruments and getting it into final orbit before beginning a one-year mission circling the planet.
Researchers believe Mars once had a thicker atmosphere and water on its surface, and they hope Maven will shed light on why its climate changed to one less hospitable to life.
It will orbit Mars in an elliptical orbit ranging from 150 kilometres to 6,000 kilometres above the planet’s surface, and will conduct five “deep dips” to bring it even closer to Mars.
Maven is the fourth satellite in orbit around Mars, along with two other NASA missions and a European Space Agency mission. The rovers Opportunity and Curiosity continue exploring the planet’s surface.
GNA