When you launch a probe into space that is not exactly cheap, without a doubt one of the biggest fears you can have is that it will stop send data or cut off your communication. This is precisely what has happened 225 million kilometers away with the MAVEN probe who has lost contact like NASA itself has been able to confirm. And this has been carrying out its function outside of our planet for many years now.
His story. The ship, which has been orbiting Mars since 2014, it stopped communicating with Earth on December 6, 2025 and, so far, attempts by the Deep Space Network (DSN) to reestablish the connection have been unsuccessful.
Although the worrying thing is not only that this scientific instrument could have been lost in space, but that MAVEN is a fundamental piece in the “interplanetary internet” that connects the Rovers on the surface with us.
What we know. As NASA itself reports, everything indicated that it was a very normal day at the orbital office. MAVEN was preparing for its usual passage behind Mars that would leave it hidden, but a priori everything was working correctly inside.
But logically the moment it is lost behind mars (something that almost always lasts between 25-30 minutes), the signal loses. However, on day 6, when the probe was to leave the shadow of Mars and reestablish the link with the Deep Space Network, the signal never arrived. It stayed just behind Mars with no further signs of ‘life’. Now the objective is to try to wake up the ship without success, although they assure that there are no indications that its trajectory has been altered.
The worst possible moment. This is something that hasn’t had the best timingand as is known, we are already approaching the superior solar conjunction that is expected for January 2026. This phenomenon occurs when the Sun comes between the Earth and Mars, which makes communications very difficult and risky. In this way, if NASA does not recover MAVEN in these weeks, everything indicates that they will have to wait several weeks without being able to make more attempts.
Because. Among the hypotheses that NASA has right now to explain this failure is radiation. Recently the Sun has been very active and a flare or cosmic ray could have corrupted the probe’s onboard computer, as already happened to other missions as Curiosity.
Another hypothesis lies in atmospheric drag, since MAVEN flies really low. Thus, if a solar storm had ‘bloated’ the Martian atmosphere, the friction could have destabilized the spacecraft, forcing it to enter a mode where its antennas were not pointed at Earth.
Its importance. This probe is not just a decoration in space, but rather plays a crucial role in understanding how Mars lost its atmosphere and water over the eons. It has been a resounding success, surviving well beyond its original lifespan. But in 2025, its role is more pragmatic: acting as a signal repeater.
Right now the Rovers that are on the Martian surface as they are Perseverance and Curiosity They do not have the necessary power to optimally send information to Earth. This caused its data to be passed to MAVEN and other probes and then sent to Earth. In this way, losing MAVEN means leaving two probes that are much older on Mars and that could cause problems when sending this data.
Images | NASA Hubble Space Telescope
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