NASA ends MAVEN Mars mission

United States — NASA>>> has announced the end of its MAVEN (MAVEN) mission after losing contact with the spacecraft for six months. Launched in 2013 and entering Martian orbit in 2014, MAVEN exceeded its planned one-year mission by a decade, operating until December 2025. The probe was instrumental in studying Mars>>>'s atmosphere, climate history, and habitability, providing crucial insights into atmospheric escape and the planet's evolution. It also served as a vital communication relay for surface rovers like Curiosity (rover) and Perseverance (rover). United States — NASA>>> officials, including Shannon Curry>>> and Tiffany Morgan>>>, lauded MAVEN's contributions to planetary science. A review board, with input from Mike Moreau>>>, is investigating the cause of the signal loss, which may be related to the spacecraft spinning unexpectedly and draining its batteries. While the loss of MAVEN creates a 'slight delay' in data relay, United States — NASA>>>'s remaining four orbiters are expected to compensate for the loss, as noted by Greg Heckler>>>.