The story of Mars is about to get a bit more interesting, as a new NASA mission to the Red Planet is set to launch in 2023. The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission is the first of its kind, aiming to explore the history and evolution of Mars’ atmosphere. MAVEN will take a close look at the interaction between the planet and solar wind—the stream of charged particles flowing from the Sun—to determine how much of the atmosphere has been lost to space, and how this process has changed over time. MAVEN will also measure the current composition of the Martian atmosphere, providing insight into the processes that have shaped it. This mission will help scientists to gain a better understanding of how Mars evolved over time, and could ultimately provide clues about the possibility of life on the planet.

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source: Phys.org