
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.
Step by step instructions to Advance the Eco-friendliness of Your Kona SUV
Remain Fit: Powerful Wellness and Work-out Schedules for a Better You
The most effective method to Amplify Profits from Gold Speculation: Systems and Tips
Lula’s former human rights minister formally accused of sexual misconduct
Japan prepares to restart world's biggest nuclear plant, 15 years after Fukushima
15 Outrageous Cosplay Outfits That Will Blow You Away
How to avoid or deal with an outrageous medical bill
Bennu asteroid samples provide clues about solar system origins and 'space gum'
The Appearance of Experience: Embracing the Reduced Portage Horse













