NASA gives up on lost Mars orbiter
Summary
NASA has stopped trying to contact its MAVEN spacecraft, which stopped responding after passing behind Mars in December 2025. The $582 million Mars orbiter, launched in 2013, studied the planet’s atmosphere and helped relay communications for Mars rovers.Key Facts
- MAVEN lost contact with Earth during a 20-30 minute pass behind Mars on December 6, 2025.
- NASA attempted to reset MAVEN’s computer remotely but received no response.
- Launched in November 2013, MAVEN entered Mars orbit in September 2014.
- The mission, originally planned for one year, lasted over 11 years.
- MAVEN studied how solar wind strips away Mars’s atmosphere, helping explain why Mars is now dry and cold.
- The spacecraft discovered a process called “sputtering,” where charged particles knock atmospheric gases into space.
- MAVEN also relayed signals from Mars rovers Curiosity and Perseverance back to Earth.
- NASA has formed an investigation team to determine why MAVEN stopped communicating.
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