Measuring Mars Atmospheric Loss

A Nov. 5 NASA science update highlighted data from NASAs Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission that has determined the present rate at .\r
\r
\r
\r
Mars is a cold and barren desert today, but scientists think that in the ancient past it was warm and wet. The loss of the early Martian atmosphere may have led to .\r
\r
The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission, scheduled for launch in November 2013, will be the first mission devoted to understanding the .\r
\r
The solar wind accelerates ions from the Mars upper atmosphere into space. Today, Mars is a global desert with an atmosphere far too thin to support bodies of .