Planets and Moons
MAVEN Aerobraking to Achieve Science and Relay Orbit
In February 2019, MAVEN began an aerobraking campaign to tighten its orbit around Mars. When the campaign finishes in late April, MAVEN's furthest distance from the planet will be reduced by about 1,700 kilometers and its orbital period will be shortened by an hour. The aerobraking campaign will improve MAVEN's ability to relay data from rovers on the surface of Mars, while also continuing to carry out its science objectives by studying the Mars upper atmosphere and its interaction with the solar wind.
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NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio