MAVEN
Mission overview
MAVEN studies how Mars lost much of its atmosphere to space over billions of years.
Mission data
Identity and engineering data from Wikidata (type-verified match · Q327075) · launch date 2013-11-18 confirmed
| International designator | 2013-063A | Wikidata · catalogued |
| Operator | Lockheed Martin Space | Wikidata · catalogued |
| Manufacturer | Lockheed Martin Space | Wikidata · catalogued |
Full field-level provenance
- International designator: Wikidata (Wikimedia Foundation) — community-curated structured knowledge base · Wikidata · wdt · P247 · catalogued value · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Operator: Wikidata (Wikimedia Foundation) — community-curated structured knowledge base · Wikidata · wdt · P137 · catalogued value · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Manufacturer: Wikidata (Wikimedia Foundation) — community-curated structured knowledge base · Wikidata · wdt · P176 · catalogued value · retrieved 2026-07-11
Sourced from Wikidata (community-maintained structured data, whose statements link to their own citations where provided); each value carries its Wikidata QID. A field with conflicting Wikidata values is omitted. Launch date is used only to cross-check the catalogue, never to override it. Fields Wikidata did not provide, or where conflicting values exist, are omitted, never invented.
Primary-source verification
Committed mission facts cross-checked against the official NASA primary source — NASA Science — MAVEN.
| Launch date | 2013-11-18 | Confirmed by primary |
Verified by corroboration against the official agency document: a launch date is “Confirmed by primary” only when the page literally states it; a launch mass only when the page states a figure equal to it within catalogue rounding (±0.5%). Source precedence is primary agency > peer-reviewed > official mission page > structured secondary > Wikidata; a primary source outranks Wikidata but no engineering value is transcribed from the page — an uncorroborated value is kept as its original (secondary) source, never re-labelled primary. Checked 2026-07-12.
Derived values
Computed from source-backed inputs via standard formulae — not observations. Every input and constant is traced below.
- Time since launch12.6 yearscalculated
Formula & inputs
Formula: Δt = reference − launch (v1.0.0, impl v1.0.0)
Inputs:
- launchDate = 16027 days (JD-like) · NASA
Limitations: A time-dependent value: it is elapsed time as of the stated reference instant, not a fixed total.; Elapsed time since launch is not the same as time spent operating at the target.
Uncertainty: not propagated (inputs carry no catalogued uncertainty)
Computed as of 2026-06-29.
Outcome & discoveries
Measured atmospheric escape rates, helping explain Mars's transition to a cold, dry world.
Mission profile
Knowledge connections
- Operated byNASA
- Part of programMars Exploration Program
- Launched byAtlas V
- Launched fromCape Canaveral Space Force Station
- Mission targetMars
Related missions
| Mission | Type | Agency | Launch | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spirit (MER-A)Mars | Rover | NASA | 2003-06-10 | Completed |
| Opportunity (MER-B)Mars | Rover | NASA | 2003-07-07 | Completed |
| Mars Science Laboratory (Curiosity)Mars | Rover | NASA | 2011-11-26 | Active |
| Mars 2020 (Perseverance)Mars | Rover | NASA | 2020-07-30 | Active |
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.