Nasa resumes hunt for life on Mars

Nasa’s Maven spacecraft has arrived at Mars after a 442 million-mile journey that began nearly a year ago.

Nasa resumes hunt for life on Mars

Nasa’s Maven spacecraft has arrived at Mars after a 442 million-mile journey that began nearly a year ago.

Nasa confirmed that the robotic explorer slipped into Martian orbit as planned.

Now the real work begins for the $671m mission.

Flight controllers will spend the next six weeks adjusting Maven’s altitude and checking its science instruments. Then Maven will start probing the Martian upper atmosphere.

The spacecraft will conduct its observations from orbit, and is not meant to land.

Scientists believe the Martian atmosphere holds clues as to how Earth’s neighbour went from being warm and wet billions of years ago to cold and dry.

That early moist world may have harboured microbial life, a tantalising question yet to be answered.

more courts articles

Man appears in court charged with false imprisonment of woman in van Man appears in court charged with false imprisonment of woman in van
Man in court over alleged false imprisonment of woman Man in court over alleged false imprisonment of woman
Coronation Street actor William Roache (91) given three months to settle tax debt Coronation Street actor William Roache (91) given three months to settle tax debt

More in this section

Oprah Winfrey Oprah Winfrey addresses her decades-long weight shaming in obesity drug TV show
US and Japan seek UN resolution banning nuclear weapons in outer space US and Japan seek UN resolution banning nuclear weapons in outer space
Mike Lynch court case Fallen tech star Mike Lynch painted as fraud mastermind in Hewlett-Packard trial
Cookie Policy Privacy Policy Brand Safety FAQ Help Contact Us Terms and Conditions

© Examiner Echo Group Limited