Atmospheric Changes Over Time

NASA’s MAVEN Spacecraft Faces Uncertain Future in Martian Orbit. In a concerning development, NASA’s Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft, a vital Martian probe, may be lost in space. The orbiter, which has been studying the Red Planet’s atmosphere for over a decade, has been experiencing communication difficulties.

According to NASA, the spacecraft’s telemetry data has not been received since December 4. A brief signal was recovered on December 6, but analysis revealed that the orbiter was rotating in an unexpected manner, suggesting a possible change in its orbital trajectory. Launched in November 2013, MAVEN entered Martian orbit 10 months later and has been crucial in understanding the planet’s atmospheric ___ over time.

The spacecraft plays a significant role in NASA’s Martian surface exploration, serving as one of four orbiters that relay communications between ground control and the Perseverance and Curiosity rovers. Fortunately, the other three orbiters – NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Mars Odyssey, and the European Space Agency’s ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter – remain operational.

To mitigate the ___ of MAVEN’s communication, NASA is arranging additional passes from the remaining orbiters, and the Perseverance ← →