NASA loses contact with Maven spacecraft orbiting Mars for a decade
The spacecraft has also played a key role as a communications relay for NASA’s Curiosity and Perseverance rovers on the Martian surface
NASA has lost contact with its Maven spacecraft, which has been circling Mars for more than 10 years.
The agency said Maven suddenly stopped sending signals to ground stations over the weekend. The orbiter was functioning normally before passing behind Mars, but when it emerged, controllers received no communication.
Maven was launched in 2013 and arrived at Mars the following year to study the planet's upper atmosphere and how it interacts with the solar wind. Its findings helped scientists conclude that the sun gradually stripped away much of Mars' atmosphere, transforming it from a warm, watery planet into the cold, arid world it is today.
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The spacecraft has also played a key role as a communications relay for NASA's Curiosity and Perseverance rovers on the Martian surface.
NASA said engineering teams are investigating the cause of the outage.
Two other NASA orbiters remain operational around Mars: the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, in service since 2006, and Mars Odyssey, which has been operating since 2001.
