NASA’s MAVEN on way to Mars
By Ken Kremer
NASA’s Mars Atmosphere and
Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) space
probe thundered to space on Nov.
18 following a flawless blastoff from
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station’s
Space Launch Complex 41 at 1:28
p.m. EST atop a powerful Atlas V
401 rocket.
“Hey Guys we’re going to Mars!”
gushed Bruce Jakosky, MAVEN’s
Principal Investigator at a post
launch briefing for reporters at the
Kennedy Space Center.
“Now I am a Martian,” beamed
Jakosky gleefully. And so is everyone
else who has worked on MAVEN
since the project was conceived
some ten years ago.”
The
absolutely
perfect
countdown
culminated
in
a
spectacular on time lift off that
rumbled across the Florida Space
Technicians working on NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft with solar panels unfurled inside the
Photo: Ken Kremer
clean room at KSC prior to its November 2013 launch,
Coast to the delight of cheering
crowds assembled for the historic
launch aimed at discovering the
history of water and habitability
stretching back over
billions of years on Mars.
“I take great pride in
the entire team,” said
Jakosky. “Everyone was
absolutely committed
to making this work.”
The
$671
Million
MAVEN
spacecraft
separated from the
Atlas Centaur upper
stage some 52 minutes
after liftoff, unfurled
its wing like solar
panels to produce life
giving power and thus
began a 10 month
interplanetary voyage
to the Red Planet.
“We’re
currently
about 14,000 miles
away from Earth and
heading out to the
Red Planet right now,”
said MAVEN Project
Manager
David
Z]