NASA Loses Contact with Maven Spacecraft Orbiting Mars

UPDATE: NASA has lost contact with its Maven spacecraft, which has been studying Mars for over a decade. The spacecraft abruptly stopped communicating with ground stations over the weekend, raising urgent concerns among scientists and engineers.

NASA officials reported that Maven was functioning normally before it went behind the red planet on October 28, 2023. When it re-emerged from the Martian shadow, there was only silence. This unexpected loss of contact is alarming, given Maven’s critical role in exploring the Martian atmosphere and serving as a vital communication relay for the Curiosity and Perseverance rovers.

Launched in 2013, Maven arrived at Mars in 2014 and has been instrumental in uncovering the history of the planet’s atmosphere. Scientists have leveraged its findings to understand how solar wind has stripped away much of Mars’ atmosphere, transforming it from a once-warm, wet environment to the cold, arid world we see today.

NASA has initiated engineering investigations to determine the cause of the communication breakdown. The space agency confirmed that two other spacecraft remain operational in orbit around Mars: the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, launched in 2005, and Mars Odyssey, launched in 2001.

The situation continues to develop as NASA teams work around the clock to regain contact with Maven. The potential loss of this invaluable data source is significant, not only for current missions but also for future explorations of the Red Planet.

Stay tuned for further updates as NASA investigates this critical issue.