14 DAY TRIAL // In this beautiful NASA image, the Atlas V heavy-lift rocket that will carry the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft on the first leg of its journey to the Red Planet is seen at its launch pad in California, backdropped by the Moon and bathed in spotlights.
The photo was snapped on Sunday, November 17, less than a day before the orbiter is scheduled to depart towards Mars. The mission is in charge with revealing how the atmosphere around our neighboring world changed over time, and how the chemicals it once contained were lost to space.
The mission is scheduled to take off from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's (CCAFS) Launch Complex 41 (LC-41) installation, at around 1:28 pm EST (1828 GMT). Countdown for the mission will begin at 6:28 am EST (1128 GMT).
The launch window for this mission will remain open until 3:28 pm (2028 GMT), officials at the American space agency say. NASA TV will provide live coverage of the launch starting at 11:00 am EST (1600 GMT).