NASA's MAVEN Spacecraft Loses Communication After 11 Years at Mars

NASA's MAVEN spacecraft was functioning well when it lost contact with Earth during a routine occultation behind Mars on December 6, 2025. The event was expected to last less than an hour, but ground teams did not receive any signals from the spacecraft afterward. Following the loss of communication, engineers implemented contingency plans to attempt to re-establish contact, but their efforts were unsuccessful. NASA officials announced on June 4, 2026, that they would cease attempts to locate MAVEN and begin decommissioning the mission. Mike Moreau, MAVEN's project manager at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, confirmed the decision.