SMRTR Science & EngineeringJun 3, 2026Scientific American

NASA’s Mars mission MAVEN is lost forever

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NASA has officially ended the MAVEN Mars mission after losing contact with the spacecraft in December 2024. MAVEN, launched in 2013, was the first mission dedicated to studying Mars' atmosphere and served as a key communications relay for the Curiosity and Perseverance rovers. Its loss weakens NASA's Mars communications network, though its decade of data on atmospheric erosion, solar storms, and Martian auroras will continue benefiting scientists for years.

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