14 DAY TRIAL // The American space agency announces that the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft is currently a “go” for launch on Monday, November 18. Liftoff will occur from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) in Florida.
The Atlas V delivery system carrying the orbiter is scheduled to takeoff at 0658 GMT. Officials with the CCAFS say that there is currently a 70 percent chance of good weather for launch.
In the image above, MAVEN is seen undergoing a spin test inside the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, at the NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC). This assessment is meant to confirm that the vehicle is perfectly-balanced, and that it can withstand the rigors of operating in space.
“The MAVEN mission is a significant step toward unraveling the planetary puzzle about Mars' past and present environments,” says the associate administrator of the NASA Science Mission Directorate in Washington DC, John Grunsfeld.
The purpose of the MAVEN orbiter will be to retrace the Red Planet's atmospheric history and figure out how and when it lost its atmosphere. These studies will help reveal whether or not Mars once supported life.