Kenneth Glad
The loss closes a long-running project that far outlasted its original plan. Its measurements will keep helping researchers study how Mars became cold and dry.
The long-running MAVEN orbiter has been declared unrecoverable, closing a Mars project that lasted far beyond its original plan.
NASA said MAVEN, launched in 2013 and in orbit around Mars since 2014, last sent a signal on Dec. 6, 2025, after passing behind the planet. It had operated for more than 11 years, far beyond its planned one-year primary mission.
NASA said telemetry looked normal before the blackout. Later analysis of radio data suggested MAVEN entered safe mode and was spinning unusually fast when it reappeared from behind Mars.
That rotation likely drained the batteries, cutting power to communications and leaving the orbiter unable to resume science work or relay data. NASA has not yet identified the root cause and expects further review.
The Associated Press reported that NASA project manager Mike Moreau described the ending in personal terms: “The team really did experience the loss of a loved one with the end of the mission here.”
Helped explain how Mars lost air
MAVEN was built to study how Mars lost much of its atmosphere to space. NASA said its observations showed how solar wind, solar storms and charged particles helped reshape the planet’s climate over time.
Louise Prockter of NASA’s Planetary Science Division said: “The science MAVEN has given us is key to informing what kind of radiation protection and safety measures we must take before sending humans to Mars.”
Shannon Curry, MAVEN’s principal investigator at the University of Colorado Boulder, said: “The team is certainly broken up about this, but at the same time we are incredibly proud of the science we’ve accomplished over the last decade.”
The loss also affects rover communications
MAVEN’s work was not limited to atmospheric research. It also helped send data from NASA’s Curiosity and Perseverance rovers back to Earth.
AP writes that four other Mars orbiters, two American and two European, are expected to take over that relay role.
The orbiter is expected to remain around Mars for 50 to 100 years before eventually falling toward the planet.
Sources: NASA; Associated Press
