23
Health & Science3h 30m ago

NASA has officially begun decommissioning the MAVEN orbiter after 11 years, following months of unsuccessful recovery efforts since contact was lost in December 2025.

Mars

Who
NASA, MAVEN, Mike Moreau, Shannon Curry, Tiffany Morgan
What
NASA has officially begun decommissioning the MAVEN orbiter after 11 years, following months of unsuccessful recovery efforts since contact was lost in December 2025.
When
Wed, 17 Jun 2026 10:00:00 GMT · 3h 30m ago
Where
Mars ·
Why
The spacecraft lost contact in December 2025 after a routine communications blackout and remained silent despite reboot attempts, with investigators suggesting an unexpected rotation drained its batteries.
The Frontline Impact

How this affects you

The retirement of MAVEN, which revealed how Mars lost its atmosphere and served as a key communications relay, creates a gap in the Mars Relay Network, but other active orbiters have adjusted operations.

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