Overview
- Telemetry indicated normal subsystem health before the spacecraft went behind Mars, after which no signal was detected on reemergence.
- NASA, JPL and Deep Space Network operators are pinging MAVEN along its predicted orbit while diagnosing the problem, with no cause yet identified.
- MAVEN studies Mars’ upper atmosphere and also relays data for Curiosity and Perseverance, so its silence tightens an already aging relay network that relies on MRO, Odyssey and ESA orbiters.
- The orbiter previously overcame serious navigation issues in 2022 by switching to all‑stellar guidance, a history that informs current recovery efforts.
- The mission has outlived its prime and was proposed for termination in NASA’s FY2026 budget, though it was expected to have propellant to operate through at least the end of the decade.