NASA Loses Contact With MAVEN Mars Orbiter: What the Silent Spacecraft Means for Future Mars Missions
NASA lost contact with its MAVEN Mars orbiter on December 6, 2025, as the spacecraft passed behind Mars. The agency confirmed the outage on December 9 and said teams are working to restore communications. MAVEN, in orbit since 2014, also serves as a relay for Mars rovers. As of December 11, the spacecraft remains silent.