Mars scout to comb planet's thinning air

• Autores: Lisa Grossman
• Localización: New scientist, ISSN 0262-4079, Nº. 2944, 2013, pág. 14
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • A Mars explorer is about to get its head in the clouds. NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution probe, which launched on 18 Nov, will be the first to extensively explore Mars's upper atmosphere, searching for clues to when and why the planet went from a warm, wet world to the cold, dry desert people see today. So far, most missions to Mars have concentrated on its surface. These craft have gathered mountains of evidence that Mars once hosted flowing liquid water with the right chemistry to support life. That is a strong sign that the Red Planet once had a thicker, warmer atmosphere. But today, it is just one-hundredth as dense as Earth's.