Instrument design for the Mars atmospheric and volatile evolution mission

The MARS Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission was selected by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in 2008 for development of the second Mars Scout Mission. The mission is on schedule for a November 2013 launch from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Strong evidence exists for liquid water at the surface of Mars, in its early history, but not today, suggests dramatic climate change. The instrument package manifested for MAVEN will provide the data required to determine the impact on climate due to atmospheric loss to space. MAVEN will accomplish this by measuring the structure, composition, and variability of all regions from which escape occurs, and will sample all local solar times and most latitudes. This paper provides an overview of MAVEN's science, the driving science requirements as they relate to the instrument selection and design, and the design of the instrument complement that will enable the science. Finally, the technical challenges involved in the instrument development and how they have been resolved and / or mitigated to date will be presented.