NASA Ends MAVEN Mars Orbiter Mission After Six Months of Silence

NASA has officially ended the mission of its MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution) orbiter after losing contact with the spacecraft six months ago. The $582 million probe studied how solar wind impacts Mars' atmosphere for over eleven years.

The last successful communication occurred on December 6, 2023, when MAVEN passed behind Mars during a routine occultation. When it emerged from the planet's shadow, NASA's Deep Space Network failed to detect any signal. Despite repeated attempts to reset the spacecraft's computer and reestablish contact, all efforts proved unsuccessful.

Data indicated that the spacecraft went into a fast spin, which disrupted its orbit and drained the onboard batteries. A review board convened by NASA concluded that the spacecraft is useless and unable to be recovered. The orbiter is expected to remain in Mars' orbit for another 50 to 100 years before crashing into the planet.

Launched in November 2013, MAVEN exceeded its planned one-year mission by a decade. The orbiter provided valuable insights into how charged particles from the solar wind have eroded Mars' atmosphere over billions of years. One of its key discoveries was observing an atmospheric escape process called 'sputtering,' where charged particles crash into the upper atmosphere and cause neutral gases to escape.

In addition to its scientific research, MAVEN served as a crucial communications relay for NASA's Curiosity and Perseverance rovers. While other Mars orbiters will continue this role, the loss of MAVEN may result in occasional delays for data transmission from the surface missions. Four other spacecraft around Mars — two U.S. and two European satellites — will pick up the slack, with no rover science lost.

NASA project manager Mike Moreau expressed the team's emotional response to the mission's end, stating that they experienced 'the loss of a loved one.' Maven's lead scientist, Shannon Curry of the University of Colorado Boulder, highlighted the spacecraft's significant contributions to understanding Martian atmosphere and evolution. An investigation into what caused the problem continues.