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As of December 6, 2025, Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) lost contact with Earth, and NASA teams are working on recovery via the Deep Space Network. The spacecraft had enough fuel projected for operations until at least 2030 before this issue.
Key Facts about MAVEN
- Full Name: Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN)
- Type: Orbiter
- Launch Date: November 18, 2013, by NASA
- Mars Orbit Insertion: September 21, 2014
- Primary Objective: To determine how much of Mars’ atmosphere has been lost to space and understand the processes driving this loss.
Mission Goals
- Measure the current rate of atmospheric escape into space.
- Study the upper atmosphere and ionosphere (charged particle layer).
- Investigate how solar wind and sunlight interact with Mars’ atmosphere.
- Provide insights into Mars’ climate history, including why the planet shifted from a warmer, wetter environment to the cold, dry world we see today.
Key Achievements
- Observed Comet Siding Spring's 2014 flyby, detecting metals like magnesium in Mars' atmosphere from comet debris.​
- Mapped global wind patterns in the upper atmosphere and studied responses to solar events and dust storms.​
- Serves as a communications relay for surface missions like Perseverance rover, with orbit adjusted in 2019 for better coverage.​
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