NASA Reports Loss of Communication with Mars-Orbiting Maven Spacecraft

NASA's connection has been severed with a vital spacecraft orbiting Mars for more than ten years.

The spacecraft, known as Maven—short for Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution—ceased transmitting data to Earth stations on December 6th. According to NASA, the spacecraft was operating normally before Mars blocked its signals. Unfortunately, upon reemerging, it failed to resume contact.

Maven was launched in 2013 and successfully began orbiting Mars by September 2014. Its mission was to examine the Martian upper atmosphere and its interactions with the solar wind. Scientists have drawn conclusions pointing to the sun as the primary reason Mars lost most of its atmosphere over millions of years, transitioning from a warm, wet planet to its current cold, arid state.

In addition to its research role, Maven served as a crucial communication hub for NASA’s Mars rovers.

NASA is currently investigating the issue through engineering evaluations to understand the communication breakdown.

Active Mars Orbiters

NASA still operates two other functioning spacecraft circling Mars: the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and Mars Odyssey, which were launched in 2005 and 2001, respectively.

The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is notable for capturing remarkable images such as intriguing Martian craters and geological formations. Its primary goal is to find evidence of water that may have existed for extended periods on Mars' surface.

Meanwhile, Mars Odyssey recently provided an extraordinary view of a vast volcano peeking through Martian clouds at dawn. It holds the record for the longest continuous operation in orbit around a planet other than Earth.

Mars Odyssey's mission also involves studying atmospheric phenomena like clouds and frost, as well as mapping the surface terrain to ensure safer landings for future missions.