Mars Mission in Jeopardy: MAVEN's Sudden Silence

Mars, the red planet, has a new mystery. MAVEN, a spacecraft that has been circling Mars for over a decade, has gone quiet. NASA, the space agency, lost touch with MAVEN on Sunday. It was working fine before it went behind Mars. But when it came out from behind the planet, NASA couldn't hear from it anymore. NASA is trying to figure out what happened. They can still send signals to MAVEN, but they don't know why it's not responding. MAVEN is one of only three spacecraft orbiting Mars right now. It's important for science and also helps talk to rovers on Mars' surface. MAVEN launched from Florida in 2013. It's been studying Mars' thin air for years. Scientists want to know how Mars lost its thick atmosphere and became a cold, dry place. MAVEN also helps NASA talk to its rovers, Curiosity and Perseverance, which are exploring Mars' surface. MAVEN is old. It's been working way past its expected life. But it still has enough fuel to keep going until the end of the decade. NASA spends about $22. 6 million every year to keep MAVEN running. That's a lot of money, but it's helping us learn about Mars. There are other spacecraft around Mars too. Some are from the U. S. , like Mars Odyssey and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Others are from Europe, the United Arab Emirates, and China. All of them are helping us learn more about the red planet. In November, a new mission to Mars was launched. Two small satellites, ESCAPADE, will reach Mars in 2027. They will study Mars' magnetic field and atmosphere. It's a long journey, but it could give us new insights about Mars. NASA is still trying to fix MAVEN. They are hopeful they can get it working again. Until then, the mystery of Mars' silent orbiter continues.