NASA Loses Contact with Mars Orbiter MAVEN

The United States space agency NASA has temporarily lost contact with its Mars orbiter MAVEN, raising concerns about the status of the spacecraft that has been studying the planet’s atmosphere for over a decade.

According to NASA, no regular data transmissions have been received from MAVEN for nearly two weeks. However, a brief fragment of a signal was detected recently, suggesting that the spacecraft may have unexpectedly rotated out of its correct orientation, possibly preventing its communication antenna from pointing toward Earth.

About the MAVEN Mission

The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft was launched in 2013 and entered Mars orbit in 2014. Its primary mission is to study Mars’ upper atmosphere, ionosphere, and interaction with the Sun and solar wind. The findings from MAVEN have been crucial in understanding how Mars gradually lost much of its atmosphere, transforming from a warmer, wetter planet into the cold and arid world seen today.

Current Status and Ongoing Mars Missions

NASA engineers are continuing efforts to re-establish communication with MAVEN and assess its condition. Despite the communication setback, NASA’s exploration of Mars remains active and robust.

Other operational missions around Mars include the Mars Odyssey and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, while surface exploration continues through the Curiosity and Perseverance rovers, which are actively conducting scientific investigations on the planet.

NASA has stated that it will provide updates as further information becomes available regarding the MAVEN spacecraft.