NASA has confirmed that it has lost contact with its Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) orbiter, a spacecraft that has been studying the Martian atmosphere since 2014. The communication breakdown occurred earlier this week when the orbiter passed behind Mars, and engineers have since been working to re-establish a stable link.
MAVEN has been a critical mission for understanding how Mars lost much of its atmosphere over billions of years, transforming from a planet that may once have supported liquid water to the cold, arid world observed today. The spacecraft has provided valuable data on solar wind interactions, atmospheric escape, and the planet’s climate history.
According to NASA officials, the loss of contact is believed to be linked to a technical anomaly in the orbiter’s communication system. While the spacecraft remains in orbit, engineers are attempting to send recovery commands through the Deep Space Network. The agency has stressed that similar issues have been encountered before and that contingency protocols are in place.
The incident comes at a time when Mars exploration is expanding, with multiple missions from the United States, Europe, China, and India contributing to global scientific knowledge. MAVEN’s data has been widely used to support other missions, including NASA’s Perseverance rover and the European Space Agency’s Trace Gas Orbiter.
