NASA's MAVEN Magnetometer to Measure Martian Magnetic Field
Posted on March 27, 2013
NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) magnetometer will measure the magnetic field on Mars. Unlike the Earth, Mars does not have global magnetosphere. It has only patches of magnetic field left in its crust.
The MAVEN mission is expected to help scientists better understand the Mars atmosphere and how it interacts with solar wind. This could help explain why Mars transformed from a planet with abundant water to a frozen desert. The MAVEN mission is set for a late 2013 launch. It will go into orbit around Mars in September 2014. Take a look:
The MAVEN spacecraft is undergoing acoustics testing at Lockheed Martin Space Systems' Reverberant Acoustic Laboratory in the above photograph.
More from Science Space & Robots
- Fossil of Giant Freshwater Turtle Discovered
- Hubble Observes Stormy Weather on Jupiter
- Australian Spider Named After Marvel's Venom
- NASA's JWST Captures New Views of NGC 604
- Ancient Giant Sea Lizard Had Dagger-Like Teeth