14 DAY TRIAL // This great image published by NASA showcases the Atlas V heavy-lift rocket as it soared to the sky yesterday, November 18, carrying the American space agency' Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft.
Since the launch occurred from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS), in Florida, wildlife could not be far away. This amazing image shows a number of White storks (Ciconia ciconia) taking to the air, probably frightened by the roar of the massive engines on the United Launch Alliance rocket.
MAVEN is scheduled to end its 10-month journey on September 22, 2014, when a six thruster engine burn will decelerate the spacecraft enough to allow for Mars' gravitational pull to grab a hold of it.
Once inserted in orbit around the Red Planet, the orbiter will join six other scientific missions already investigating various aspect of our neighboring world. MAVEN will focus on the atmosphere, ionosphere, and on discovering the source of Mars' mysterious methane.