On November 18th 2013, US space agency NASA has
successfully launched its space craft, Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN)
designed to study the Outer Atmosphere of Mars. It is NASA’s 10th
mission to the red planet. The satellite was lifted up by the United Launch Alliance
Atlas V rocket from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
The 671 million USD space craft is expected to reach the Mars
Orbit two days ahead of the Mangalyaan in Sep 2014 after completing its 10
month long voyage. But the science
mission and solar panelled Orbiter are set begin their work two months later. This
mission is the part of the integrated and strategic exploration of the mission
aimed at unravelling the mysteries of the Solar system and beyond. It can reach
to a closest distance of 125 kilometres from Mars surface. Maven would join the
already working team of rovers and Orbiters exploring the Mars. Currently, three
other spacecrafts orbiting Mars are active: Mars Odyssey launched in 2001,
European Space Agency’s Mars Express launched in 2003, NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance
Orbiter 2006. NASA’s rover crafts, Opportunity launched in 2003 and the latest mission
Curiosity in 2011 are still working on the planet. The main purpose of the
mission is to survey the outer atmosphere and understand the role of loss of
atmospheric gas that has resulted in dramatic change in the Martian climate
over time.
The past three decades of study when US first initiated its
mission to red planet in 1965 has revealed that Mars is cold, rocky and dry. But
the studies suggest presence of water, eruption of volcanoes, flash floods,
meteors making the craters etc. Efforts are on to investigate the presence of
water. Water is present everywhere on Earth and we find life. Present NASA’s
Mars Exploration program strategy is to “Seek signs of life”. Presence of water
is key to all the four themes of the Mars Exploration: climate, geology, life
and human exploration.
About 3.5-3.8 billion ago, Earth and
Mars were similar and it was during this time frame, microbial life first made
appearance on Earth. There are several features which are common to both Earth and
Mars like the polar caps, clouds in the atmosphere, volcanoes, seasonal weather
changes, canyons, gullies, volcanoes, rocks, hills, eclipses, runoff channels
etc. Evidence from the previous Mars Missions
suggests that Mars was much warmer and wetter. But over a period of time Mars
had lost most of its atmosphere to space. Presence of dry channels and minerals
that typically form in water provide an evidence for existence of water on the
planet. But the thin Martian atmosphere no longer allows water to be stable on
the surface. This raises several doubts about the existence of microbial life forms
if any and do they still exist in special regions today? Even if life has never
existed, can it support as a future habitat for human exploration? Presently
Mars has the most unfriendly climate. It is arid, rocky, cold and lifeless. It
is home to largest volcano, deepest canyon and has the most aberrant weather
and temperature patterns.
MAVEN has 3 instrument suites and would carry investigations
for one full earth year. These include: a solar wind and ionosphere gauge
called the Particles and Fields Package. Second tool is Remote Sensing Package which
will determine global characteristics of Upper Atmosphere and Ionosphere. The third
one is the Neutral gas and Ion Mass Spectrophotometer to measure composition
and isotopes of neutrals and ions.
So far Mars exploration has occurred in three stages:
fly-bys, Orbiter, Landers and Rovers. In future Mars Explorations may employ
balloons, airplanes, subsurface explorers and sample returns. Orbiters help us
to understand the planet as a whole. They yield a huge repertoire of
information about the planet’s atmosphere, gravity, mineral and elemental
composition, landforms, magnetic field, internal structure and weather. They
help in identifying scientifically interesting sites on the surface, provide
information about the presence of rocks and informs about hazards at landing
sites. MAVEN would also play a key role in communication relay support for
future Landers, rovers on Martian surface.
Mangalyaan and MAVEN are going to complement each other's finding once they the orbit of the Mars. NASA is planning for a human exploration mission to Mars by
2030.
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