Planets and Moons ID: 20222

MAVEN Deep Dip

Animations by Michael Lentz Released on September 2, 2015

NASA's MAVEN orbiter is the first spacecraft at Mars specifically designed to study the planet's upper atmosphere. Its goal is to determine how Mars lost its thick, early atmosphere to space, and in turn, its once hospitable climate.

MAVEN's elliptical orbit normally takes it from 6,200 km above Mars at its furthest point to about 150 km at its closest point, just above the upper atmosphere. However, during MAVEN's periodic "deep dip" campaigns, the spacecraft's orbit is lowered to only 125 km at closest approach, dipping into the upper atmosphere to study it in situ.

This animation depicts MAVEN maneuvering from its normal science orbit to the deep dip orbit and back. The animation is available for download in broadcast-quality HD and can be looped.

For More Information

NASA.gov

Animation Credits

Michael Lentz (USRA): Lead Animator
Bruce Jakosky (LASP): Scientist
Dan Gallagher (USRA): Producer

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab

Short URL to share this page:
https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/20222

Mission:
MAVEN: Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN

This item is part of this series:
MAVEN

Goddard TV Tape:
G2015-007 -- MAVEN Sci Early

Keywords:
SVS >> Mars
GCMD >> Earth Science >> Atmosphere
SVS >> Orbit
SVS >> MAVEN
NASA Science >> Planets and Moons

GCMD keywords can be found on the Internet with the following citation: Olsen, L.M., G. Major, K. Shein, J. Scialdone, S. Ritz, T. Stevens, M. Morahan, A. Aleman, R. Vogel, S. Leicester, H. Weir, M. Meaux, S. Grebas, C.Solomon, M. Holland, T. Northcutt, R. A. Restrepo, R. Bilodeau, 2013. NASA/Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Earth Science Keywords. Version 8.0.0.0.0