NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft has entered Mars' orbit and will now explore the upper atmosphere of the Red Planet.

NASA administrator Charles Bolden said MAVEN can improve their understanding of the Martian atmosphere.

This mission can shed light on the climate changes in the planet over time; the influence climate had on the evolution of the surface and the possibility of the habitability of the planet, he explained.

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It will also give better information for future mission that will send humans to Mars in 2030, he added.

John Grunsfeld from NASA said MAVEN is bound to complement NASA's other Martian robotic explorers that answer fundamental questions about Mars and life beyond Earth.

He said that MAVEN opens another chapter of NASA's long history of scientific discovery on Mars.

Astronomers from NASA said MAVEN will maneuver into final orbit and test its instruments and science mapping commands.

It will take measurements of the composition, structure and escape of gases in Mars' upper atmosphere and the interaction it has with the sun and solar wind.

Bruce Jakosky, MAVEN's investigator, said the development and deployment of MAVEN took seven years.

He said he's delighted that MAVEN arrived safely at Mars and that he's looking forward to the successful science mission.

Aside from the upper atmosphere, MAVEN is also going to measure the lower atmosphere of the Red Planet.

David Mitchell, MAVEN Project Manager, said they're very excited to join the constellation of spacecraft in orbit and on the surface of Mars.

MAVEN was launched in November 18, 2013 from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. It entered Mars' orbit on September 21, 2014 at 7:24 pm.