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'Best. Mars. Mission. Ever.' Scientists hail MAVEN's legacy as NASA retires Red Planet orbiter

NASA has ended the MAVEN orbiter mission after the spacecraft stopped responding in December. Meanwhile, the Perseverance rover has traveled 26.2 miles on Mars. The rover continues to search for signs of ancient life and collect rock and regolith samples.

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What changed

New reports detail the Perseverance rover's distance traveled and a proposed helicopter fleet.

Live updates

  1. NASA Retires MAVEN Orbiter as Perseverance Rover Hits Milestone

    NASA has ended the MAVEN orbiter mission after the spacecraft stopped responding in December. Meanwhile, the Perseverance rover has traveled 26.2 miles on Mars. The rover continues to search for signs of ancient life and collect rock and regolith samples.

    What's confirmed:

    • The Perseverance rover has traveled 26.2 miles on Mars.
    • Perseverance seeks signs of ancient life and collects rock and regolith samples for potential return to Earth.

    Still unconfirmed:

    • NASA unveiled a helicopter fleet called SkyFall in March.
    • Some scientists fear the SkyFall mission could harm existing Red Planet research.
    confidence 90%

  2. NASA Declares MAVEN Mars Orbiter Dead After Months of Silence

    NASA has officially retired the MAVEN orbiter after 11 years of operation. The spacecraft stopped responding in December following an anomaly while passing behind Mars. Mission control failed to restore communication despite attempts to restart the onboard computer.

    What's confirmed:

    • MAVEN operated at Mars for 11 years.
    • The orbiter was launched on November 19, 2013, and entered Mars orbit on September 22, 2014.
    • The mission studied the Martian upper atmosphere and how solar storms accelerate the loss of atmospheric gases.
    • NASA declared the mission dead after months of radio silence.
    • Loss of contact began in December.

    Still unconfirmed:

    • The orbiter captured an image of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS days before vanishing.
    • The probe will fall to Mars in 50 to 100 years.
    confidence 90%

  3. NASA Retires MAVEN Orbiter After 11-Year Mission

    NASA is decommissioning the MAVEN orbiter following 11 years of operation at Mars. The mission focused on atmospheric escape and the history of the Martian atmosphere. Scientists describe the effort as a methodical study of where the planet's atmosphere went.

    What's confirmed:

    • NASA is retiring the MAVEN orbiter after an 11-year mission at Mars.
    • The mission studied atmospheric escape and Martian science.

    Still unconfirmed:

    • The mission is described as one of history's most elegant scientific collaborations.
    confidence 100%

  4. NASA Decommissions MAVEN Mars Orbiter

    NASA has begun decommissioning the MAVEN Mars orbiter after it went dark. The mission provided data on the Martian atmosphere and served as a communications relay for surface missions. Recovery efforts were unsuccessful.

    What's confirmed:

    • The MAVEN mission was the first devoted to observing the Martian upper atmosphere and its evolution.
    • NASA has begun decommissioning the MAVEN orbiter.
    • The mission ended after 11 years.
    • The spacecraft served as a communications relay for surface missions.
    • MAVEN arrived in Mars orbit on Sept. 21, 2014.
    • The mission produced 800 papers and captured 18% of surface data.

    Still unconfirmed:

    • The decommissioning followed a power-loss event in December.
    • The orbiter retired after 12 years.
    confidence 90%