'In an unrecoverable state': NASA confirms MAVEN spacecraft is officially dead after loss of signal behind Mars
NASA has confirmed that its MAVEN spacecraft is officially dead after losing contact in December 2025. The probe, which studied Mars for over 11 years, experienced a loss of power due to an unknown anomaly affecting its rotation speed. Although the exact cause of its failure remains unclear, NASA has deemed the spacecraft unrecoverable.
- ▪NASA's MAVEN spacecraft lost contact on December 6, 2025, while orbiting Mars.
- ▪The spacecraft's mission lasted over 11 years, beginning on September 21, 2014.
- ▪An anomaly in MAVEN's rotation speed led to a drained battery and loss of communication.
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Space Space Exploration 'In an unrecoverable state': NASA confirms MAVEN spacecraft is officially dead after loss of signal behind Mars NASA has confirmed its MAVEN spacecraft is officially dead after losing contact with the probe in December. An anomaly in the probe's rotation speed led to an unexpected loss of power, though the exact cause remains unknown. By Brandon Specktor published 3 June 2026 in News When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. An artist’s concept of NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft at Mars. NASA lost contact with MAVEN in Dec. 2025, and determined it to be “unrecoverable” on June 3, 2026.
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