NASA Struggles to Reestablish Contact with MAVEN

NASA is having serious problems trying to contact its MAVEN spacecraft, which has not communicated for several weeks. MAVEN, a Mars orbiter studying the planet’s atmosphere since 2014, has shown some worrying signs, including a possible change in its orbit.

The last signal from MAVEN, received on December 6, 2025, suggested the spacecraft might be tumbling in space. This has raised concerns about its condition and whether it can continue its mission.

NASA’s attempts to contact MAVEN are further complicated by the upcoming solar conjunction. During this time, Mars and Earth are on opposite sides of the Sun, making all communication between the planets temporarily impossible. The solar conjunction will last until mid-January 2026, meaning NASA cannot send commands to MAVEN until then.

NASA even tried using the Curiosity rover’s Mastcam camera to visually locate MAVEN by looking at its expected orbit, but this attempt did not work. MAVEN remains out of reach, and NASA has very little information about its current status.

Reports suggest that the problems may be caused by a malfunction in MAVEN’s Guidance, Navigation, and Control systems, which could be causing the spacecraft to spin uncontrollably.