NASA MAVEN Mission
¨ MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere
and Volatile Evolution) mission was declared concluded by NASA after loss of
contact.
¨ It was designed to study
Mars’ upper atmosphere and atmospheric escape processes.
¨
MAVEN is a NASA orbiter
spacecraft operating around Mars.
¨
It was launched in
November 2013.
¨ The mission operated for
more than 11 years, far beyond its 1-year primary mission.
¨
It also acted as a data
relay orbiter for NASA’s Curiosity and Perseverance rovers.
Loss of Contact
¨
Last successful
communication: 6 December 2025
¨
Occultation behind Mars
occurred before expected re-emergence.
¨
NASA’s Deep Space Network
detected no signal afterward.
¨
Spacecraft entered safe
mode and began unusually high rotation.
¨
Rapid spin likely drained
onboard batteries and cut communication power.
Anomaly Review
¨
NASA formed an anomaly
review board in February 2026.
¨
Conclusion: spacecraft is
not recoverable.
¨
MAVEN can no longer
perform science or data relay missions.
¨
Final root-cause analysis
report will be released later.
Scientific Importance
¨ MAVEN studied how the Sun
and solar activity contributed to the loss of Mars’ atmosphere.
¨ It helped explain Mars’ transition from a warmer, wetter planet to a cold, dry world.
¨ It is part of NASA’s broader Mars exploration programme and climate history research.
