
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA has lost contact with a spacecraft that has orbited Mars for more than a decade.
Maven abruptly stopped communicating to ground stations over the weekend. NASA said this week that it was working fine before it went behind the red planet. When it reappeared, there was only silence.
Launched in 2013, Maven began studying the upper Martian atmosphere and its interaction with the solar wind once reaching the red planet the following year. Scientists ended up blaming the sun for Mars losing most of its atmosphere to space over the eons, turning it from wet and warm to the dry and cold world it is today.
Maven also has served as a communication relay for NASA’s two Mars rovers, Curiosity and Perseverance.
Engineering investigations are underway, according to NASA.
NASA has two other spacecraft around Mars that are still active: Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, launched in 2005, and Mars Odyssey, launched in 2001.
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
LATEST POSTS
- 1
Video of clashes over purported conscription orders misrepresented as anti-war protest in Israel - 2
Conquering Language Boundaries: Individual Accounts of Multilingualism - 3
Moscow accuses Berlin of stifling the opposition - 4
'The Real Housewives of Rhode Island' 1st teaser trailer unveiled: Which Bachelor Nation star is part of the cast? And when does it premiere? - 5
Wedding trip Objections in the US
Merz: 80% of Syrians in Germany should return in three years
Involved Vehicles for Seniors: Track down the Best Picks for Solace and Unwavering quality
Multi-million-euro win in Spanish lottery in doubt due to oversight
Taylor Swift's 'The End of an Era' docuseries: Everything you need to know, plus how to watch for less
The Best Portable Applications for Emotional wellness and Prosperity
'Pluribus' release date: Everything you need to know about the new series from 'Better Call Saul's' co-creator
Von der Leyen: Paris meeting sends signal of unity for Ukraine
How to watch 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' for less with this Apple TV Black Friday deal
10 times the sky amazed us in 2025












