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NASA Decommissions MAVEN After Contact Loss, Preserves Data

6/6/2026

Summary

NASA Decommissions MAVEN

NASA ended the MAVEN mission on June 3, 2026 after losing contact on Dec. 6, 2025.
A February board found the probe spun rapidly after emerging, draining batteries and ending communications.
NASA Science Division director Louise Prockter said the data are vital for protecting astronaut crews from radiation.
NASA will decommission MAVEN and archive its dataset, preserving over 800 papers that used its observations of atmospheric sputtering, proton auroras and the 2018 dust storm.

Summary

MAVEN Loss

MAVEN’s loss forces the Mars Relay Network to rely on the 2001 Odyssey and 1999 MRO for rover links.
NASA’s May RFP seeks a new Mars Telecommunications Network not expected to be ready until 2030.
The existing relay satellites are 10-25 years old and budget strains jeopardize support for Odyssey and MRO.
MAVEN, slated for a 50-100-year orbital life, executed a 2017 maneuver to avoid Phobos, underscoring collision hazards.

History

Historical Context

NASA launched the Mars Climate Orbiter on 11 December 1998 to study Martian climate and serve as a communications relay. On 23 September 1999 the probe burned up after a navigation error caused by a metric-imperial unit mismatch, ending a $327.6 million mission. The loss highlighted the fragility of Mars-orbit relays and spurred NASA to plan a new Mars Telecommunications Network to maintain service.

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NASA Decommissions MAVEN

NASA ended the MAVEN mission on June 3, 2026 after losing contact on Dec. 6, 2025.
A February board found the probe spun rapidly after emerging, draining batteries and ending communications.
NASA Science Division director Louise Prockter said the data are vital for protecting astronaut crews from radiation.
NASA will decommission MAVEN and archive its dataset, preserving over 800 papers that used its observations of atmospheric sputtering, proton auroras and the 2018 dust storm.

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