
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA has lost contact with a spacecraft that has orbited Mars for more than a decade.
Maven abruptly stopped communicating to ground stations over the weekend. NASA said this week that it was working fine before it went behind the red planet. When it reappeared, there was only silence.
Launched in 2013, Maven began studying the upper Martian atmosphere and its interaction with the solar wind once reaching the red planet the following year. Scientists ended up blaming the sun for Mars losing most of its atmosphere to space over the eons, turning it from wet and warm to the dry and cold world it is today.
Maven also has served as a communication relay for NASA’s two Mars rovers, Curiosity and Perseverance.
Engineering investigations are underway, according to NASA.
NASA has two other spacecraft around Mars that are still active: Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, launched in 2005, and Mars Odyssey, launched in 2001.
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
LATEST POSTS
- 1
Which sandwich do you find totally delectable? ! - 2
Ancient eggshells shed new light on crocodiles that hunted prey from trees - 3
Doritos and Cheetos debut 'NKD' options, without artificial colors or flavors - 4
NASA chief Jared Isaacman says Texas may get a moonship, not space shuttle Discovery - 5
Day to day Temporary Positions That Compensate Fairly in the US
Manual for Purchasing a Modest Jeep Wrangler for Seniors
Poland Crypto Bill Clears Sejm Again, Defying President — Will “Restrictive” Rules Stick?
Venice’s newest marvel is a wild, acrobatic dolphin. His refusal to leave puts him in danger
Malaysia To Revive Search for Missing Flight MH370
Vote in favor of the Web-based Work out schedule to Keep You Fit and Sound
Full SNAP benefits must be paid ‘promptly,’ USDA tells states as government reopens
A Couple of Modest Guitars for 2024
Scientists document a death from a meat allergy tied to certain ticks
EU Council president: Ukraine should receive binding guarantees













