NASA's Maven spacecraft lost after going into safe mode behind Mars

The last time NASA's Deep Space Network (DSN) received a signal from Maven was on December 6, 2025, before the solar-powered spacecraft flew behind Mars. According to telemetry data, upon reappearing on the other side of the planet, the spacecraft switched to safe mode and lost control, leading to a loss of power. NASA has been trying to re-establish contact with Maven for months without success.

The investigation board concluded that Maven may have lost electrical power within hours of the incident in December, causing its communication system to shut down and the spacecraft to enter an unrecoverable state. Mike Moreau, Maven's project manager, praised the project team's efforts, sharing, "They truly went through the grief of losing a loved one when the mission ended." The root cause of the incident is still under investigation.

Shannon Curry, Maven's principal investigator, called the spacecraft "the greatest Mars mission ever" during a meeting on June 3. "The team is certainly very sad about this, but we are also incredibly proud of the scientific achievements made over the past decade," Curry said.

"The data collected from Maven will continue to provide valuable insights into Mars for decades to come," said Louise Prockter, director of NASA's Planetary Science Division.

According to Space, Maven was launched into space by a ULA Atlas V rocket in November 2013, and was the first probe to carry instruments to measure how Mars's atmosphere develops and interacts with the solar wind. Ten months later, the spacecraft reached the planet's orbit. Scientists later concluded that the Sun was responsible for Mars losing most of its atmosphere to space, transforming it from a wet and warm world into the dry, cold place it is today.

Maven's initial mission was planned to last only one year, but it was extended by another 10 years because the spacecraft was still operating well. The loss of Maven leaves NASA with only two orbiters at Mars: Mars Odyssey, launched in 2001, and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), launched in 2005. Both of these spacecraft have also operated far beyond their original planned durations.

In addition to scientific research, Maven was an important communication link for several robots on the surface of Mars. It coordinated with the MRO and Mars Odyssey (NASA), Mars Express and TGO (European Space Agency ESA) to relay communications for rovers such as Perseverance and Curiosity (NASA). According to AP, the remaining four spacecraft will continue to handle this task, and no scientific data from the rovers will be lost.