NASA to reveal new findings on fate of Mars' atmosphere today

NASA will announce the key science findings from the agency’s ongoing exploration of Mars during a news briefing today.

Image credit: NASA

Washington: The US space agency is set to reveal details of its new findings into the mysterious fate of the ancient Mars atmosphere Thursday.

NASA will announce the key science findings from the agency’s ongoing exploration of Mars during a news briefing at 2 p.m. EST today, November 5.

For centuries, people have speculated about the possibility of life on Mars due to the planet's proximity and similarity to Earth.

Scientists have found evidence of briny water flowing on Mars making possible for life to be sustained on the Red Planet.

In 2013, NASA launched its MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution) mission to study the Martian atmosphere while orbiting the Red Planet.

Mission goals include determining how the atmosphere of Mars and water, presumed to have once been substantial, were lost over time.

MAVEN, which entered the Martian atmosphere on September 22, 2014, is on a mission to find out what exactly happened to Mars' thick and protective atmosphere, which could have sustained life many eons ago.

It is being speculated that the agency is likely to announce how Mars went from habitable to cold and dry that it is now.

The press conference will be chaired by Jim Green, director of planetary science at NASA, who announced the presence of water on Mars, as well as leading members of the MAVEN team.