NASA Loses Contact with Maven Spacecraft After 10 Years in Orbit

NASA has lost communication with its Maven spacecraft, which has been orbiting Mars for over a decade. The spacecraft ceased transmitting signals to ground stations over the weekend. Prior to this disruption, NASA reported that Maven was functioning normally before it moved behind Mars. When it re-emerged, there was no sign of communication.

Launched in 2013, Maven entered Mars’ orbit in 2014. Its primary mission has been to study the upper atmosphere of the planet and how solar wind interacts with it. This research has provided critical insights into why Mars transitioned from a warm, wet environment to its current cold and arid state. Scientists have attributed the loss of much of Mars’ atmosphere to solar activity over billions of years.

In addition to its atmospheric studies, Maven has played an essential role in assisting NASA’s two Mars rovers, Curiosity and Perseverance, by serving as a communication relay.

Currently, NASA is conducting engineering investigations to determine the cause of the communication breakdown. The agency still has two other operational spacecraft in Mars’ orbit: the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, launched in 2005, and Mars Odyssey, which was launched in 2001.

As investigations continue, the scientific community remains hopeful that communication with Maven can be restored. NASA’s commitment to Mars exploration remains evident, as the agency actively monitors its remaining spacecraft and analyzes data from previous missions.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.