NASA lost contact with Mars probe MAVEN: the spacecraft may be uncontrollable
Kyiv • UNN
NASA has been unable to re-establish contact with the MAVEN probe, which disappeared in Mars orbit on December 6, 2025, for almost a month. Telemetry analysis indicates an unplanned rotation of the spacecraft, and resuscitation attempts have been suspended until January 16, 2026, due to an astronomical phenomenon.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has been trying for almost a month to restore contact with the MAVEN probe, which suddenly disappeared in Mars orbit. Since December 6, 2025, the spacecraft has not been in contact, and current attempts to establish a connection have been unsuccessful. This was reported by NBC News, writes UNN.
Details
The signal loss occurred during the probe's planned passage behind the disk of Mars. At this point, communication blocking was expected, but after emerging from behind the planet, the spacecraft did not resume data transmission.
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An analysis of a short telemetry fragment received on December 6 indicates that the spacecraft began to rotate unexpectedly. Mission specialists are currently trying to reconstruct the chronology of events to understand the causes of this anomaly.
Pause in rescue operation
Further attempts to revive the probe have been forced to pause due to an astronomical phenomenon: starting Monday, Mars and Earth will be on opposite sides of the Sun. This will cause a prolonged communication blackout, so the next attempt to establish contact with MAVEN will not take place until January 16, 2026.
To find the spacecraft, NASA even involved the Curiosity rover, which on December 16 and 20 tried to photograph MAVEN from the planet's surface to visually assess its condition.
Mission role and consequences
The MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN) probe has been operating in orbit for over ten years, although the initial mission duration was only two years. Its loss is critical for two reasons:
- Scientific work: the spacecraft studies the ionosphere of Mars and the reasons for the planet's loss of its atmosphere.
- Relay: MAVEN provides communication between the Curiosity and Perseverance rovers and Earth.
If communication cannot be restored, NASA will have to rely on older orbiters - Mars Odyssey (2001) and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (2005), which also continue to operate on Mars.