- On June 3, 2026, the US space agency NASA officially declared the end of its highly acclaimed MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution) mission.
- This decision was made due to the inability to establish contact with the spacecraft for an extended period. Launched in 2013, the MAVEN mission remained active in Mars' orbit for over 11 years, gathering significant scientific data regarding the Martian atmosphere.
- The last successful contact with MAVEN occurred on December 6, 2025.
- Subsequently, the spacecraft passed behind Mars during a scheduled occultation event.
- Although there were hopes of re-establishing contact, NASA's Deep Space Network received no signals from it.
- Limited telemetry data received later indicated that the spacecraft had entered "safe mode" and was spinning at a rate faster than normal.
- MAVEN—short for "Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution"—was developed to study Mars' upper atmosphere and the process by which gases escape from it into space.
- Throughout its mission, the spacecraft significantly aided scientists in understanding the evolution of the Martian atmosphere and shed light on several crucial mysteries regarding the planet's past.
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