Sunday, November 17, 2013

NASA will send to Mars MAVEN probe to study the atmosphere of the Red Planet - ITAR-TASS

NEW YORK, Nov. 18. / Correspondent. Itar-Tass Bekrenev /. U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration / NASA / plans today to send to Mars probe “Maven” / MAVEN /, intended to study the current status and evolution of the atmosphere of the Red Planet. Launch rocket “Atlas 5″ / Atlas 5 / with a probe on board appointed to 13:28 on the East Coast of the USA / 22:28 MSK /. The rocket launched from Baikonur at Cape Canaveral in Florida.

chances that the start will prevent the unfavorable weather, estimated at 40 percent. “The launch window” for the launch vehicle will be open until December 7. If, for some reason, the probe will not be sent into space this year, the next attempt with the positions of the planets can be taken only in 2016. Experts said the postponement of the launch of NASA’s cost millions of dollars.

Show “Maven” in space has been entrusted to us, “United Launch ellayens” / United Launch Alliance / – a joint venture of American corporations “Boeing” / Boeing / and “Lockheed Martin” / Lockheed Martin /. RD-180 first stage of “Atlas 5″ made by Russian company “Energomash”.

The scientific part of the project “Maven” / MAVEN – Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution Mission / has been developed in the Laboratory of Atmospheric Physics Research and Space at the University of Colorado. With the help of a probe mounted on board the eight instruments, scientists will try to figure out how and why the Martian climate, which earlier considered to be warm and humid, became cold and dry.

According to Colorado State University professor Bruce Dzhakoski originally Martian atmosphere was so dense that on the surface there was water in liquid form. “But over time, the atmosphere changed and the climate was cold and dry. We still do not know what led to these changes,” – said Dzhakoski. Scientists suggest that the most likely reason was the solar wind. For hundreds of millions of years, he gradually “eroded” Martian atmosphere, helped by a weak magnetic field of the Red Planet itself.

Another important task that NASA puts on the “Maven” – liaising with the two self-propelled machines, continuing the journey to the Red Planet. Currently, the “Kyuriositi” / Curiosity / and “Opportunity” / Opportunity / receive signals from Earth and send back information using probes “Mars Odyssey” / Mars Odyssey / and “Mars Rekonnessans” / Mars Reconnaissance /, which were launched respectively in 2001 and 2005, and gradually developed the resource.

planned that the “Maven” will reach the orbit of the Red Planet in ten months after launch. The main mission of the satellite is designed for one year. After that, “Maven” will continue to explore the Martian atmosphere and can work out a total of about six years, after which it will begin to degrade the orbit, and he eventually falls to the surface of the planet.

equipment has been designed and built, “Lockheed Martin”, a mass of about 2.5 tons. Dimensions of the Martian satellite comparable to the dimensions of the bus. The total cost of the project is estimated at 670 million dollars. “Maven” will become the 10th probe NASA sent to Mars.

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