
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
Idris Elba is the king of the stress-watch - 2
$1,000 bribes, Mormon momfluencer mixers and making content to get plastic surgery: The wildest things I learned reporting my book - 3
Genetic study identifies earliest-known dog, dating to 15,800 years ago - 4
Between 600 to 800 aid trucks entering Gaza daily since start of ceasefire, COGAT confirms - 5
Egypt's cafés and shops forced to close early due to Iran war
Former biotech CEO sued over COVID vaccine alleged insider trading
Doctor's orders: Eat ice cream, and other tips for a long and healthy life
How one man's concern saved his brothers from heart disease
Israeli lawmakers pass bill reviving death penalty for terrorists
Merz visit highlights new strategic, and strained, Germany-Israel bond
German petrol stations hike prices as once-a-day rule takes effect
Moscow: Russia well-positioned to withstand oil market shocks
Step by step instructions to Get the Best Vehicle Rent Arrangement: Insider Tips and Systems
Bold Colors, Playful Shapes, Handmade Textures: This Mexico City Home Is 100% Joyful!













