NASA MAVEN SPACECRAFT ENDS OPERATIONS AFTER 11 YEARS AT MARS

NASA's MAVEN spacecraft has ceased operations after 11 years orbiting Mars. The probe, which studied the Martian upper atmosphere, lost functionality and is no longer operational. Mission controllers confirmed the spacecraft's end of life following more than a decade of continuous service. MAVEN's conclusion marks the termination of one of NASA's longest-running Mars orbital missions.

MAVEN, which stands for Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution, launched in 2013 and entered Mars orbit in 2014. The spacecraft's primary mission focused on investigating how Mars lost much of its atmosphere over billions of years. Data collected by MAVEN contributed to scientific understanding of the planet's atmospheric history and the role of solar wind in stripping away Martian air. The probe also served as a communications relay for Mars surface missions during its operational period.

MAVEN's closure reduces the number of active NASA spacecraft currently operating at Mars. The mission produced a substantial archive of atmospheric data that researchers continue to analyse. NASA has not announced a direct replacement mission targeting the same atmospheric science objectives. The loss of MAVEN also affects relay communication capacity for existing and future Mars surface missions that depended on the orbiter.