Overview
- NASA said telemetry showed MAVEN healthy before it passed behind Mars on December 6, but no signal was detected by the Deep Space Network after it re-emerged.
- Mission and operations teams are conducting diagnostics to identify the cause of the communications loss and to reestablish contact.
- Beyond its atmospheric science, MAVEN is a high-capacity UHF relay for Curiosity and Perseverance, making the loss significant for returning surface data.
- NASA’s other relay-capable orbiters, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and Mars Odyssey, are much older, and reporting indicates Odyssey may approach fuel limits within the next few years, with ESA orbiters providing some backup.
- MAVEN previously survived a serious 2022 navigation sensor anomaly by switching to all-stellar guidance, and the mission has faced budget pressures as policymakers debate funding for a next-generation Mars telecom orbiter.