NASA Loses Contact with Mars Orbiter, Another Mission at Risk

NASA officials announced Tuesday that the agency has lost contact with one of its three spacecraft orbiting Mars, the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission. Ground teams last heard from the spacecraft on Saturday, December 6, when telemetry showed all subsystems working normally. However, after the spacecraft emerged from behind Mars, NASA's Deep Space Network did not observe a signal. Mission controllers are investigating the anomaly to address the situation and will share more information once it becomes available. According to NASA, the MAVEN spacecraft is the newest of the agency's three operational Mars orbiters. It arrived at the red planet in September 2014 after a 10-month cruise from Earth and settled into an elliptical orbit to study interactions between the Sun and the Martian atmosphere. The mission has been instrumental in understanding the Martian atmosphere and its evolution over time. "We are working diligently to reestablish contact with the MAVEN spacecraft," said a NASA spokesperson. "The loss of communication is a setback, but we are hopeful that we will be able to recover the signal soon." The spokesperson emphasized that the mission's primary objective is to continue gathering data on the Martian atmosphere, and the team is working to ensure that the mission's scientific goals are met. The loss of contact with the MAVEN spacecraft comes as a second Mars orbiter, the Mars Odyssey, is perilously close to running out of fuel. The spacecraft, which has been orbiting Mars since 2001, has been operating well beyond its warranty and is expected to run out of fuel within the next few months. NASA officials are working to determine the best course of action for the spacecraft, which has been a valuable asset in understanding the Martian geology and searching for signs of water. In related news, the third Mars orbiter, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, has been operating well past its warranty and continues to provide valuable data on the Martian geology and climate. The spacecraft, which arrived at Mars in 2006, has been instrumental in understanding the Martian surface and subsurface. The loss of contact with the MAVEN spacecraft and the impending fuel shortage of the Mars Odyssey highlight the challenges and risks involved in space exploration. As NASA continues to push the boundaries of space travel and exploration, the agency must also contend with the technical and logistical challenges of maintaining a presence in space. NASA officials are working to determine the cause of the loss of contact with the MAVEN spacecraft and to develop a plan to recover the signal. In the meantime, the agency is continuing to operate the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and is working to determine the best course of action for the Mars Odyssey. As the situation develops, NASA officials will provide updates on the status of the missions and the progress of the investigations.