MAVEN Launch Photos: NASA Mars Orbiter Launches Toward Red Planet

By Space.com Staff
published

MAVEN Spacecraft Illustration

Lockheed Martin

This is an artist's conception of the MAVEN spacecraft.

MAVEN Spacecraft Orbiting Mars Artist's Conception

LASP

This artist's conception shows the NASA's MAVEN spacecraft orbiting Mars. The mission will launch in late 2013.

Maven Studies Mars Atmosphere

Corby Waste NASA/JPL

Maven is shown studying how Mars loses its atmosphere to space in this artist's illustration.

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Space.com Staff
Space.com Staff
News and editorial team

Space.com is the premier source of space exploration, innovation and astronomy news, chronicling (and celebrating) humanity's ongoing expansion across the final frontier. Originally founded in 1999, Space.com is, and always has been, the passion of writers and editors who are space fans and also trained journalists. Our current news team consists of Editor-in-Chief Tariq Malik; Editor Hanneke Weitering, Senior Space Writer Mike Wall; Senior Writer Meghan Bartels; Senior Writer Chelsea Gohd, Senior Writer Tereza Pultarova and Staff Writer Alexander Cox, focusing on e-commerce. Senior Producer Steve Spaleta oversees our space videos, with Diana Whitcroft as our Social Media Editor.