Targeting Mars

Members of NASA s Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN mission, or MAVEN, went into orbit around the Red Planet. Its goal: to understand how a changing atmosphere transformed Mars from a warm, wet environment in its youth to the desert world that we see today. Building such a mission and sending it to Mars is a hugely complex task, requiring the close coordination of hundreds of individuals around the country. In this video, several of the team members who made the mission possible share their experiences of working on MAVEN.

B-roll supporting live shot for MAVEN reaching Mars. || The Mars Atmosphere Volatile Evolution mission, or MAVEN, is NASA s upper atmosphere. MAVEN will help determine why Mars has lost the majority of its atmosphere over the past four billion years, giving us information on how the Mars climate has evolved over time. This will also help us understand the evolution of other planets, including Earth. || Jim Green gives a canned interview for the 09/19/2014 MAVEN Mars Orbit Insertion liveshots. For complete transcript, click here. || Sandra Cauffman gives a canned interview in Spanish for the 09/19/2014 MAVEN Mars Orbit Insertion liveshots. || Jim Garvin gives a canned interview for the 09/19/2014 MAVEN Mars Orbit Insertion liveshots. For complete transcript, click here. || Kelly Fast gives a canned interview for the 09/19/2014 MAVEN Mars Orbit Insertion liveshots. For complete transcript, click here.

NASA s upper atmosphere, in an effort to understand how the Martian climate has changed over time.

MAVEN s cruise phase from Earth to Mars (oblique view)

MAVEN orbit insertion animation || The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution mission (MAVEN) spacecraft was launched on a 10 month journey to Mars on November 18, 2013. MAVEN is expected to arrive in Mars orbit on Sept 21, 2014 EDT. MAVEN s initial orbit is highly elliptical. The tail behind MAVEN changes to red to indicate the period during which thrusters are fired for orbit insertion. A separate visualization shows the transition from the insertion orbit to the more circular science orbit. || Still showing MAVEN orbit insertion

MAVEN s orbit transitions from the insertion orbit to a tighter science orbit || This visualization shows how the MAVEN spacecraft orbit changes as it progresses from the initial, highly elliptical entry orbit to a somewhat less elliptical orbit and finally to the science orbit.

Beauty pass animation of the MAVEN spacecraft as it orbits Mars. || This collection contains animations showing the MAVEN spacecraft in orbit around Mars, as well as MAVEN s orbit. 2880 x 1080 version.