NASA has given a green light for further development of a $438 million mission to study Mars' atmosphere and weigh the likelihood that the Red Planet once harbored life.
The space agency said Tuesday that a confirmation review panel approved the detailed plans, budget and array of instruments for the project, Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution, or MAVEN. The probe will carry instruments to measure the planet's atmosphere and its interactions with the sun.
Evidence gathered at the planet's surface suggests that Mars once had a denser atmosphere that supported the presence of liquid water. As part of a dramatic climate change, most of the planet's atmosphere was lost, and scientists hope MAVEN can provide insights into the factors behind that phenomenon.
"A better understanding of the upper atmosphere and the role that escape to space has played is required to plug a major hole in our understanding of Mars. We’re really excited about having the opportunity to address these fundamental science questions," said MAVEN's principal investigator, Bruce Jakosky of the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
The CU-Boulder lab is in charge of science operations. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland is managing the project, and Lockheed Martin will build the spacecraft. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., will provide navigation support.
NASA gave the initial go-ahead for the mission in September 2008, and the next step in the process is a critical design review in July 2011. Launch is scheduled for November 2013.
This report includes information from The Associated Press and msnbc.com.
