NASA loses contact with MAVEN orbiter, extends Perseverance mission to 2031

NASA engineers are working to reestablish contact with the MAVEN spacecraft after it fell silent on December 6, following a routine orbit around Mars.

The Mars orbiter, critical for studying the Martian atmosphere since 2014, failed to ping NASA’s Deep Space Network after emerging from a scheduled communications blackout. While pre-blackout data showed systems functioning normally, limited tracking data recovered later indicated the spacecraft had entered an unexpected spin, suggesting its orbit may have been physically altered.

Mission teams are working around the clock to analyze the data and regain control. MAVEN serves as a vital communications relay for surface missions; consequently, NASA has temporarily rerouted data transmission for the Perseverance and Curiosity rovers through the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and the European Space Agency’s Trace Gas Orbiter to ensure surface operations continue uninterrupted.

Perseverance’s Longevity

On the surface, the Perseverance rover is showing remarkable resilience as it approaches its fifth anniversary in February 2026. Having traveled approximately 40 km, the rover is now navigating toward “Lac de Charmes” to search for new samples.

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) has updated the rover’s life expectancy, projecting operations could continue until at least 2031. Extensive testing of duplicate components on Earth confirmed that the rover’s rotary actuators are capable of handling at least another 60 km of driving.

“These tests show the rover is in excellent shape. All the systems are fully capable of supporting a very long-term mission,” said Steve Lee, Perseverance’s deputy project manager.

A major driver of this success is the “Enhanced Autonomous Navigation” (ENav) system. Over 90% of Perseverance’s journey has relied on this autonomous tech, which scans the terrain to avoid hazards like sand pits and ledges in real-time.

This capability was crucial during the recent exploration of the “Margin Unit,” a geologic area rich in olivine and carbonate minerals. Scientists believe these rocks formed when underground magma cooled and was later exposed to water. As Perseverance climbs higher, it continues to analyze these minerals, looking for the chemical signatures that might indicate whether Mars once hosted ancient microbial life.