Key facts
- NASA declared the Mars Maven mission concluded.
- The spacecraft became unreachable after passing behind Mars on December 6, 2025.
- Maven began rapidly tumbling upon reemerging from behind Mars.
- Communication was never reestablished after the incident.
- The mission operated for over 11 years, exceeding its planned duration by 10 years.
NASA announced on June 3 that its Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (Maven) mission has concluded after the orbiter became unreachable. The spacecraft, launched in 2013, was operating normally before it passed behind Mars on December 6, 2025. Upon reemerging, data indicated Maven began rapidly tumbling, and mission control never regained its signal, losing contact for longer than the usual 20-30 minutes. An anomaly review board convened in February determined that the erratic rotation, combined with dwindling battery power, made recovery impossible. Officials delivered a eulogy for the mission, which operated for over 11 years, exceeding its planned duration by 10 years. Maven's scientific contributions include understanding atmospheric escape, its surge during solar storms, and the impact of dust storms on water loss. It also played a crucial role as a communications relay for surface missions like Curiosity and Perseverance, despite handling only 8% of relay sessions but delivering 18% of the data. The orbiter will remain in orbit for an estimated 50 to 100 years before falling into Mars' atmosphere. Other orbiters and a planned Mars Telecommunications Network will compensate for its lost relay capacity.