NASA launched its next Mars probe on Monday when the MAVEN spacecraft
(PDF) took off from Cape Canaveral, Fla., on a 10-month journey to the
Red Planet. MAVEN is an acronym for "Mars atmosphere and volatile
evolution." Among other questions scientists hope the new mission can
answer is how Mars lost most of its atmosphere, a historical quirk that
has prevented any chance for habitable life to flourish on the planet.
At one time, Mars is believed to have had an atmosphere warm enough to
support oceans of water.
Editors' note: This slideshow was originally published November 16 at
11:03 p.m. PT. It has been updated with additional photos and details
from the launch on November 18.
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