End of a decade-long mission
NASA declared its Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution spacecraft, known as MAVEN, dead on June 3 after months of failed attempts to restore communication. The last transmission from the $582 million orbiter was received on December 6, 2025, via NASA's Deep Space Network. After the spacecraft passed behind Mars, it emerged in safe mode and was tumbling uncontrollably, leading to a loss of power.
NASA's review board determined in February that the spacecraft had suffered an anomaly on the far side of the planet. All subsequent attempts to reach MAVEN failed. The agency held a press briefing on June 3 to announce the end of the mission.
Key discoveries about Mars
MAVEN was the first probe designed to study the evolution of Mars' atmosphere and its interaction with the solar wind. Over 11 years of operation, the spacecraft revealed how solar wind strips the Martian atmosphere and explained why the planet lost its water over billions of years.
Louise Prockter, director of NASA's Planetary Science Division, said the data collected from MAVEN will continue to provide valuable insights into Mars for decades to come. The spacecraft was originally designed for a one-year mission but operated for 10 additional years in extended phases.
Only two NASA orbiters remain
With MAVEN's loss, only two NASA probes remain operational in Mars orbit. Mars Odyssey, launched in 2001, and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, launched in 2005, are both still operating beyond their original missions. MAVEN was also one of five spacecraft used as a communications relay for rovers on the Martian surface.
The European Space Agency's Mars Express and Trace Gas Orbiter remain operational. The cause of MAVEN's failure remains under investigation. NASA scientists called MAVEN the best Mars mission ever.