Overview
- MAVEN failed to resume transmissions on December 6 after passing behind Mars, and NASA’s Deep Space Network did not detect a signal.
- Telemetry indicated the spacecraft was operating normally before the occultation, and teams are investigating the anomaly with no cause yet disclosed.
- The orbiter is a key UHF relay for the Curiosity and Perseverance rovers, with Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Mars Odyssey, and ESA’s Trace Gas Orbiter providing remaining coverage.
- MAVEN previously survived 2022 navigation sensor problems by switching to all-stellar guidance and has far exceeded its one-year prime mission.
- Project estimates had pointed to sufficient propellant to operate into the next several years, even as NASA’s FY2026 proposal sought to end MAVEN funding and Congress set aside $700 million for a future Mars telecom orbiter that is still years from launch.