Planets and Moons  ID: 11310

MAVEN Neutral Gas and Ion Mass Spectrometer

Released on July 18, 2013
While NASA rovers, landers, and orbiters have scrutinized the surface of Mars for decades, a key question to understanding the Red Planet's ancient habitability has hitherto gone unanswered: what happened to its atmosphere? NASA's MAVEN spacecraft will fill in this gap in the history of Mars, thanks in part to its Neutral Gas and Ion Mass Spectrometer, or NGIMS instrument. By studying the interaction of neutral gases and ions with the solar wind, NGIMS will observe current atmospheric escape processes on Mars and allow scientists to extrapolate back to the ancient atmosphere. The results could tell scientists just how long Mars was warm, wet, and hospitable, refining our understanding of its early potential for life.
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MAVEN will use its Neutral Gas and Ion Mass Spectrometer to study the interaction of neutral gases and ions in the Martian atmosphere with the solar wind, helping scientists to understand how Mars has lost its atmosphere over time.

Watch this video on the NASAexplorer YouTube channel.

For complete transcript, click here.

 

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For More Information

http://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/maven-spectrometer-opens-window-to-red-planet-s-past/#.UgExWHB8wgM

Credits

Dan Gallagher (USRA): Video Editor
Paul Mahaffy (NASA/GSFC): Interviewee
Dan Gallagher (USRA): Producer
Aaron E. Lepsch (ADNET Systems, Inc.): Project Support
Rob Andreoli (Advocates in Manpower Management, Inc.): Videographer
Dan Gallagher (USRA): Videographer
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

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https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/11310

Mission:
MAVEN: Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN

This item is part of these series:
Narrated Movies
MAVEN Instrument Profiles

Goddard TV Tape:
G2013-041 -- MAVEN NGIMS

Keywords:
SVS >> HDTV
SVS >> Mars
SVS >> Neutral Atoms
GCMD >> Earth Science >> Atmosphere
SVS >> MAVEN
SVS >> Mass Spectrometry
SVS >> Solar System >> Planets >> Mars >> Ionosphere
SVS >> Spectrometer
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