85. How did Mars lose its atmosphere?

Scientists working on the year-long¹ American mission to explore Mars hope that² it will “help solve the mystery³ of how the Red Planet lost most of⁴ its atmosphere.” Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, the scientists said they are surprised and excited⁵ by the amount⁶ and quality of the information the spacecraft⁷ MAVEN has provided so far⁸.

MAVEN reached⁹ Mars in late September after a 10-month-long journey. It had traveled 711-million kilometers from Earth to the Red Planet. NASA says MAVEN is the first spacecraft ever made¹⁰ to study the upper¹¹ atmosphere of Mars. MAVEN will measure the rates¹² at which gases leave¹³ the Martian atmosphere. Scientists hope the information the spacecraft gathers¹⁴ will help them learn¹⁵ how the climate of Mars has changed over time¹⁶.

Scientists say carbon dioxide and water control the climate. They believe if they can discover the history of Mars over the past four billion years, they will come to understand¹⁷ how the planet changed “from a warm and wet¹⁸ climate to the cold, dry¹⁹ climate present today.” 

Scientists began²⁰ working on the project 11 years ago. One of the mission’s top scientists said the mission will look at “how the processes involving the sun and the solar wind²¹ affect the gas at the top of the atmosphere and strip it away²² to space.”

Bruce Jakosky leads²³ the mission. He is a professor in the geological sciences department at the University of Colorado in Boulder. He said Tuesday that seven of the spacecraft’s eight instruments are already providing²⁴ information to scientists. He says much more will be received from²⁵ the instruments in the next few weeks. “What we’re seeing so far is really just a tantalizing²⁶ teaser²⁷ of what’s to come²⁸.”

Even this early²⁹ in the mission, when the instruments are only being tested³⁰, scientists now have the most complete picture of the Red Planet’s upper atmosphere that they have ever had³¹. The instrument testing will continue for about³² two weeks. Scientists hope to begin the actual³³ science mission early next month.

But Professor Jakosky says the quality of information already sent back³⁴ from MAVEN is better than he and his colleagues expected they would get³⁵. “I’m looking at the science team -- some here in the room with me, some distributed -- and just seeing an incredible³⁶ number of really excited people that are, are just "beside themselves"³⁷ with the quality of the data³⁸ we’re seeing already.

Just this morning my administrative assistant told me that for the first time in months she’s hearing me whistling again³⁹ as I walk down the corridor. This is gonna really be⁴⁰ an exciting mission and we’re, we’re just ready to get on with it⁴¹.”

Five times⁴² during the mission, the spacecraft will move to 125 kilometers above the surface⁴³ of the Red Planet. During these “deep-dip campaigns,” MAVEN will travel in an area where the upper and lower⁴⁴ atmospheres meet⁴⁵. This will give scientists information about the differences between the two atmospheres.

The spacecraft will also try to find out⁴⁶ if human beings⁴⁷ can survive⁴⁸ on Mars. The space agency is working on plans to send humans to the planet in the 2030s. I’m Christopher Cruise.

Vocabulary

1. year-long = um ano de duração
2. hope that = esperam que
3. solve the mystery = solucionar o mistério
4. lost most of = perdeu a maioria de
5. surprised and excited = surpresos e empolgados
6. amount = quantia
7. spacecraft = nave espacial
8. has provided so far = tem fornecido até agora
9. reached = alcançou
10. ever made = já feito
11. upper = superior
12. measure the rates = medir os índices
13. leave = deixam
14. gathers = reúne
15. learn = aprender
16. over time = ao longo do tempo
17. will come to understand = virão a entender
18. warm and wet = quente e úmido
19. dry = seco
20. began = começaram
21. solar wind = vento solar
22. strip it away = lança fora
23. leads = lidera
24. are already providing = já estão fornecendo
25. received from = recebido de
26. tantalizing = tentador(a)
27. teaser = provocação
28. what’s to come = o que está por vir
29. Even this early = mesmo tão cedo
30. only being tested = apenas sendo testados
31. they have ever had = Eles jamais tiverem
32. about = aproximadamente
33. actual = real
34. sent back = enviada de volta
35. would get = conseguiriam
36. incredible = incrível
37. beside themselves = fora de si
38. data = dados
39. hearing me whistling again = ouvindo-me assobiar novamente
40. This is gonna really be = isto será realmente
41. ready to get on with it = prontos para seguir em frente com isso
42. Five times = cinco vezes
43. above the surface = acima da superficie
44. lower = inferior
45. meet = encontram-se
46. will also try to find out = também tentará descobrir
47. human beings = seres humanos
48. survive = sobreviver

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