MAVEN launched in November 2013 and entered orbit around Mars in September 2014. The mission’s goal is to explore the planet’s upper atmosphere, ionosphere, and interactions with the Sun and solar wind to explore the loss of the Martian atmosphere to space. Understanding atmospheric loss gives scientists insight into the history of Mars' atmosphere and climate, liquid water, and planetary habitability. MAVEN’s primary mission was one year in duration. It has since far surpassed that and was recently approved for its fifth extended mission.
