URGENT UPDATE: NASA has lost contact with its Maven spacecraft, which has been orbiting Mars since 2014. The spacecraft abruptly ceased communication with ground stations over the weekend, leaving scientists in a race against time to diagnose the issue.
Officials at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Cape Canaveral, Florida, confirmed that Maven was operating normally before it went behind Mars. When it reemerged, however, silence prevailed, raising alarms among the team monitoring the mission.
Launched in 2013, Maven has played a crucial role in studying the Martian atmosphere and its interaction with solar winds. The data collected has been vital in understanding how Mars transitioned from a warm, wet planet to the cold, arid environment we see today. Maven has also served as a communication relay for NASA’s Curiosity and Perseverance rovers, enhancing the overall success of Mars exploration.
NASA is currently conducting engineering investigations to determine the cause of this communication blackout. Meanwhile, two other active spacecraft are continuing their missions around Mars: the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, launched in 2005, and the Mars Odyssey, which has been in operation since 2001.
The loss of contact is a significant concern for scientists and space enthusiasts alike, as Maven has yielded groundbreaking insights into the history of the red planet. NASA’s team is committed to resolving the situation and hopes to restore communication with the spacecraft soon.
Stay tuned for updates on this developing story as NASA works to reestablish contact with Maven.
