Maven — short for Mars atmosphere and volatile evolution mission — it's a spacecraft launched by NASA in November 2013 to the orbit of Mars. -' s USA 10 mission sent to orbit the red planet and the first spacecraft designed to study the tenuous upper atmosphere of Mars. Once in orbit, Maven will spend at least one year of data collection. Its orbit will dip as low as 78 kilometers above the Martian surface as their eight instruments make measurements. MAVEN will significantly improve our understanding of the history of the Martian atmosphere, how the climate has changed over time, and how that influenced the evolution of the surface and the potential habitability of the planet. Also better inform a future mission to send humans to the red planet in early 2030.

Maven is as long as a school bus and weighs like an SUV, the successful launch of the Maven followed three unsuccessful attempts previously. Maven joins three spacecraft already circling Mars, two Americans and a European.