NASA loses contact with long-serving Mars orbiter Maven
NASA has lost contact with Maven, a spacecraft that has been orbiting Mars for more than ten years. Communication abruptly ceased over the weekend.
According to NASA, the spacecraft was operating normally before passing behind Mars, but when it reemerged, ground stations received no signal, News.Az reports, citing AP.
Maven was launched in 2013 and began its mission the following year, studying the upper Martian atmosphere and how it interacts with the solar wind. Its findings helped scientists conclude that the sun was responsible for stripping away most of Mars’ atmosphere over billions of years, transforming the planet from a warm, wet environment into the cold and dry world seen today.
In addition to its scientific role, Maven has also acted as a communication relay for NASA’s Mars rovers, Curiosity and Perseverance.
NASA said engineering teams are currently investigating the issue.
The agency still has two active orbiters around Mars: the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, launched in 2005, and Mars Odyssey, launched in 2001.
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