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NASA declares Mars MAVEN spacecraft dead after decade of mission and mysterious silence
After more than a decade of operations studying Mars from orbit, NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft has been declared no longer functional following months of silence and an inability to reestablish contact.
The mission, launched in 2013 to examine how the Martian atmosphere has evolved over time, went quiet in early December after passing behind the planet. Data received prior to the loss of communication indicated the spacecraft may have entered an uncontrolled spin, disrupting its orbit and draining its onboard power systems. Despite repeated attempts to reconnect, the spacecraft has remained unresponsive.
Following a detailed assessment, an internal review concluded that the spacecraft cannot be recovered and is effectively lost. MAVEN is expected to remain in orbit around Mars for decades before eventually deorbiting and entering the planet’s atmosphere, with no anticipated risk to other missions operating nearby. Officials also confirmed that an investigation is ongoing to better understand what triggered the failure.
Although its primary mission has ended, MAVEN made significant contributions to Martian science, including long-term measurements of atmospheric loss and space weather conditions around the planet. It also played a supporting role in relaying data from NASA’s surface rovers, including Curiosity and Perseverance, helping maintain communication between Mars and Earth. Scientists also used the spacecraft to observe rare events such as an interstellar comet passing through the solar system.
With MAVEN no longer operational, other orbiters around Mars operated by U.S. and European partners are expected to continue supporting communications and scientific observations, ensuring that ongoing rover missions are not affected.
Mission scientists described the loss as deeply emotional while emphasizing the scientific value of the mission’s decade of work. Researchers say the data collected by MAVEN has significantly improved understanding of how Mars lost much of its atmosphere and transitioned into the cold, dry world seen today.
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