
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
What really happens when 140 reality stars come face to face with their biggest fans - 2
Tatiana Schlossberg's diagnosis puts spotlight on leukemia: What to know - 3
What's inside Mexico's Popocatépetl? Scientists obtain first 3D images of the whole volcano - 4
Moving Wedding Objections for Paramount Functions - 5
Inflammatory Merz remarks on migrants' violence against women slammed
Purdue Pharma's deal means money for some victims, end of Purdue company name. Here's what to know
10 Famous Frozen yogurt Flavors All over The Planet
NASA Artemis II tracker: Where is the Orion now and when will it reach the moon?
What do teens and tweens want for the holidays? E-bikes, gift cards and lip tints.
Iran executes two men who tried storming military facility during January protest crackdown
As her kidneys fail and time runs short, this activist fights to decriminalize euthanasia in Mexico
I served on the expert committee that advised the government on new dietary guidelines – most of our recommendations were ignored
Inside Plan with Houseplants: An Aide
Promising Speculation Bearings for Portfolio Development in 2024













